When We Were Young
by niknak995
Summary: Edward and Bella grew up down the street from each other in suburban Boston and have been dating since high school. They're finishing college and are beginning their lives together. Marriage, children...What could go wrong? All fluff. Prequel now posted!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrowed the characters for a bit. I promise to give them back. :)

**Chapter 1**

EPOV

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Three quick raps on my dorm room door had me shooting off the couch like a rocket. In my haste to get to the door quickly, I stubbed my toe badly on the leg of the coffee table.

"Ow, fuck!" I shouted as I hopped on one foot and wrenched open the door.

"Well, good morning to you, too."

I looked up from my toe and into the smirking face of the gorgeous girl standing in the doorway.

"Ugh, sorry," I said, holding the door open to let her inside. "I stubbed my toe."

She stopped in front of me and I shut the door behind her. "Aww, you poor baby," she simpered before stretching up on her toes and planting a chaste kiss on my cheek.

Bella sauntered past me, her long chestnut hair swaying as she walked, and plopped onto the couch I'd just vacated. "So, wanna get some breakfast before class?" She asked, smiling up at me, her chocolate brown eyes twinkling in delight.

I sat down beside her and pulled her into my side. "Sure, but there's something I want first…" I said as leaned in towards her. "Happy anniversary, love."

"Happy anniversary, baby." she whispered before I pressed my lips to hers.

The door suddenly banged open and hit the wall behind it loudly. "Whoa, whoa," said a booming voice. "Brother in the room, Cullen. Remove your lips from the girl and take a few steps back."

I reluctantly let go of Bella and glared up at my best friend and roommate.

"Shut up, you dork," Bella said, throwing a decorative pillow at the two figures standing in the doorway. "I can kiss Edward without your permission."

Emmett caught the pillow easily and grinned widely at the two of us, his curly brown hair falling in his eyes. "Chill out, Baby B, I'm only joking with you," He chucked the pillow at my face and shoved me off the couch. "So you, two ready for breakfast?" his bright blue eyes twinkled with glee.

"You bet," Bella said getting to her feet. "Where's the dynamic duo?"

"Sitting in our booth at the diner," Rose said, twining her fingers with Emmett's. "That little pixie was at our door at four AM this morning wanting to go for a run with Jas." she huffed angrily. "I was seriously considering whacking her over the head, but I didn't think that you would appreciate that, Edward."

"Yes, Rose, thank you for not killing my sister." I laughed as I got my wallet, keys, and backpack.

"That's so weird," Bella mused as we walked out the door. "I didn't hear her leave this morning."

I took her hand and laced her fingers with mine. I looked down at my Bella and sighed contentedly. Bella and I have been officially dating for six years, since her sophomore year of high school. We grew up down the street from each other in the town of Brookline, a suburb of Boston. Her older brother, Emmett, and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember, just like Bella and my little sister, Alice, have been best friends for as long as they can remember.

When Bella and I got together in high school, I thought for sure Emmett would never speak to me again. But when we told him, he just burst out laughing and said "It's about time. You two have been making goo-goo eyes at each other since elementary school." and clapped me on the back. "You hurt her and I'll fuck you up, Cullen." He'd added in a low whisper to me.

Bella and I had always secretly felt bad for Emmett and Alice. After we got together, they were usually a third wheel. But since they're both such fun-loving people, they never complained. That's why I was relieved when Emmett and I met the Hale twins on our first day at Boston University.

Rosalie and Jasper Hale are twins who came all the way from Texas to attend BU. They apparently have some family issues and needed to get as far away from them as possible. They couldn't be more opposite. Rose is a tall blonde with dark blue eyes and a tough as nails exterior. But she's really a sweetheart on the inside. I wouldn't want to be enemies with Rose; she could definitely beat me up and come out of it without a scratch. Jasper is laid-back and easygoing. He was a really cool guy and fun to be around. The two of them have an apartment off-campus that they pay for with money from their joint trust fund.

As soon as Emmett met Rose, he was a stuttering mess. He couldn't form a single word to say to her. This was a first for Emmett; he was usually an expert at picking up girls. Of course, it was really fun for me to see him acting like a crazy idiot since he was always charming and suave. The weirdest thing of all was when Alice met Jasper. Bella had come to visit me at my dorm one day during her senior year of high school…

_The knock I'd been waiting for all day sounded throughout the room and I leapt up to answer it. I wrenched the door open quickly, ignoring the chuckles from the three behind me. As soon as I'd seen Bella's face, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her soundly. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around my waist. In our haste, we toppled backwards and landed on the loveseat behind me with a grunt. _

_After a minute or two, Emmett coughed loudly and no doubt purposefully. Bella pulled back and giggled. "Oops," she whispered to me, before turning to everyone. "Hey, guys," she greeted them brightly and slightly out of breath. _

"_Hi, Bella," Rose, Emmett, and Jasper chorused. _

_She laughed and climbed off of me to go hug her brother. "Mom says to call her soon or she's coming up here herself." Bella warned before giving him a smacking kiss on his cheek. _

"_Ew," Emmett whined, rubbing at his cheek. "Now I have Edward spit on me!" _

_We were all laughing at Emmett's attempts to clean his cheek when another person appeared in the doorway. _

"_Sorry that took so long. Trying to find a parking space around here is like trying to find Prada at Old Navy…" Alice trailed off, looking around the room. "Oh, hello, strangers in my brother's dorm," she said moving into the room and shedding her coat. _

"_I'm hurt, squirt!" Emmett exclaimed, clutching his chest. "I've known you since you could walk!" Alice swatted the back of his head. _

"_Oh, sorry Ali," I apologized. "This is Rosalie and Jasper Hale. Rose, Jasper, this is my little sister, Alice." I hurried to make introductions. _

_Alice looked Jasper up and down, seemingly trying to decide something. She smiled. "So obviously, I've missed a lot," we all looked at her quizzically before she gestured to me. "Edward has his 'Bella just attacked me' hair."_

_She went over to Jasper and deposited herself in his lap. And hasn't left in four years. _

"Edward!" Bella's voice called me back to the present.

"Yeah, babe?" I asked dazedly. We were already outside our usual diner.

She raised her eyebrow at me. "I said do you want to have breakfast here, with everyone, or would you rather go somewhere else?"

"No here's fine." I said. "Besides," I whispered to her. "Didn't you want to tell them today?" I asked.

She nodded and we continued into the diner. The diner looked like the diner that those kids hang out at in _Grease. _It had black and white tiled floors and big, red stuffed booths with grey Formica tables. There's an old juke box in the corner that actually works, an old soda fountain counter, and an old-fashioned kitchen in the back. All the waiters were dressed in typical 1950's clothing too.

The four of us slid into our usual U-shaped booth beside Alice and Jasper.

Alice leaned around Bella to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Morning, everyone!" she chirped. "Happy Bella and Edward's sixth anniversary!" For some reason, she insisted on celebrating it too, as if she was in the relationship.

We grumbled "Good morning," back to her and I heard Emmett mumble something like "Too damn early to be that chipper," I snickered.

The waitress came by then and we ordered our usual breakfasts. Emmett gets two eggs, sunny-side up, with a side of sausage and hash browns; Rose gets warm oatmeal with strawberries on top; Jasper gets eggs Benedict and bacon; and Alice gets Belgian waffles with whipped cream. Bella and I split our food. She gets French toast and I get pancakes, then we each take a little of bit of both.

"So we have something to tell you guys," I said to everyone as I stabbed the last piece of her French toast.

"Eee!" Alice screeched. "You're pregnant!" she exclaimed as she grasped both of Bella's hands.

Emmett choked on the sip of coffee he was taking and I did a double take. That was definitely not what I was thinking about.

"Uh, no, Ali," Bella said, blushing red as a tomato. "I'm not pregnant."

Emmett visibly relaxed while Alice slumped in disappointment.

"What we were going to say was that Bella and I have decided to move in together in a month, over winter break." I said as I took Bella's small had in my much larger one.

"Ooo!" Alice clapped her hands together. "Can I help decorate?" she asked eagerly.

Bella laughed. "Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way." she looked to Rose. "We would love your help too, Rose."

Rose smiled and nodded.

"Where are you thinking about moving?" Emmett asked as the waitress took our plates away.

"Downtown, I think," Bella said with a glance to me. "Beacon Hill or Back Bay, somewhere nice but still close enough to all of you and to school so I can finish my Masters and Edward can start his PhD." She smiled her gorgeous smile up at me and squeezed my hand.

The waitress brought us our second round of coffee of the morning and told us she'd be back in a few minutes with the bill.

"So have you two picked a date yet?"Jasper asked as he added his fourth packet of sugar to his coffee.

"Uh, yeah," Bella said as she swallowed a sip of coffee. "We've talked about some time over spring break." I brought Bella's hand up to face and pressed a kiss to the ring I'd given to her last Christmas.

"About time," Rose snorted. "You two have been engaged for almost a year." She smiled teasingly.

"Oh, please, Bella!" Alice exclaimed.

Bella looked at her like she had four heads. "Please what, Alice?"

"Please let me do your wedding!" Alice pleaded.

Bella and I chuckled. "Don't worry, Ali," I said. "We were planning on asking you to anyway."

"Eee!" The five of us had to cover our ears. Her happy screech was so loud. "Thank you!" she cried as she flung her arms around both of our necks. She sat back in her seat and beamed at us. "Ooo!" she clapped her hands together excitedly. "Can it be a destination wedding?"

"No," Bella and I said at the same time. Alice pouted in disappointment.

"Just something small and local would be great, Alice." Bella said, putting her hand on my chest and leaning her head on my shoulder.

After a few more minutes, Jasper glanced at his watch. "Gotta go, gang," he said jumping up from the table. "We'll be late for class."

We quickly settled our bill and left the diner together. I gave Bella a quick kiss goodbye, promised to see her later, and sent her on her way with Alice to the Education building. Alice was getting a degree in early education to be a preschool teacher and Bella was getting her dual Bachelors and Masters degrees in English. She's always wanted to be a high school English teacher although I do know that she enjoys writing short stories in her free time.

Rose and Emmett headed back upstairs to our dorm room since their classes were later on in the day. Emmett was studying to be an athletic trainer/ physical therapist and Rose was getting a degree in interior design and business, in hopes that she would open her own design firm one day.

Jasper and I headed off towards the opposite end of campus. He was on his way to his first Architecture class of the day and I was going to Developmental Psychology class, my only class of the day. Once I had my PhD in Psychology, I could join my Uncle Liam's psychiatry practice as a practicing psychologist. I'd rather not go to medical school just so I can earn more money – I'm not really a fan of blood.

After listening to the professor drone on and on for two hours, I practically ran out of the room when class was dismissed. I wanted to see my Bella. The few minutes I'd spent with her this morning was the only alone time we've had together in several days.

Bella had another class today so I had at least another hour until I saw her again. I trudged back across campus to my dorm. Once I got back to my suite, I dropped my bag by the door and flopped down on the couch next to Emmett.

Emmett took one look at my face and leaned around Rose to throw me a beer from the cooler next to the couch. "Here," he grunted. "You look like you could use this."

"Thanks," I said appreciatively. I leaned my head on his shoulder and pouted. "Emmett," I sighed. "I miss Bella…" I simpered overdramatically.

Emmett shoved me off of him and over to the other side of the couch as I snickered. "Oh no you don't," he warned pointing a finger at me. "I'm leaving the room if you're gonna do that shit again."

I laughed remembering all the times I'd teased and tortured Emmett in the only way I possibly could, talking about his sister as my girlfriend. I pretended to sulk as he turned on the end of the pre-game coverage of the football game that was scheduled for this afternoon.

As soon as Emmett and I started whooping and hollering at the TV, Rose rolled her eyes and pulled out a thick magazine and her iPod, effectively tuning us out.

I jumped at the sound of approaching feet in the hallway outside. I eagerly waited for the door to open so I could see Bella's beautiful face again.

"Hey, guys!" Alice greeted us brightly as she set her bag down by the door. "Rose, are you ready to go?"

Rose grunted "yeah," without looking up from her magazine.

Bella came over to where Emmett, Rose, and I were sitting on the couch and bent to give me a kiss in greeting. "Hi, baby," she whispered as she rested her forehead against mine.

"Hey," I said back. I got to my feet and pulled her by her hand into our little kitchen area. One of my hands rested on her hip and the other came to rest on her cheek, pulling her in for a long, lazy kiss. "There," I whispered, slightly out of breath. "That's much better."

"Mhm…" she agreed. "How was class?" She rested her head on my chest and my arms wound around her waist, holding her to me.

Even after six years of being together, it still felt like we were in the "Honeymoon Phase", as people call it. We've always been very loving towards each other. Sure, we've had our considerable ups and downs. Once, Bella and I were fighting over something completely ridiculous and we didn't speak to each other for three days. But Bella and I have always been good at communicating with each other, our relationship is still strong. I had a feeling we would always be this happy together.

"Boring," I answered her, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Long," another kiss. "Tedious," She giggled as I ticked her ribs slightly. "I was really anxious to see my beautiful fiancée again."

"Beautiful?" she snorted. "In your biased opinion,"

I clucked my tongue. "I'm certainly not the only one who thinks so. If it weren't for me, there would be hundreds of men waiting to knock down her door."

"Hmm…" She hummed. "I'll have to meet this fiancée of yours to see if you're right."

I spun her around so her back was pressed against my chest. I pointed to the reflection of both of us in the toaster. "There she is,"

Bella giggled. "Eh, she's just okay." She spun back around and I swatted her ass playfully.

I pressed my lips to hers again. "So are we still on for tonight?" I asked hopefully. Our sixth anniversary, I can't believe it. It feels like only yesterday we were in high school I was terrified of asking her out. We were celebrating our anniversary a few days late since we both had big papers due last week.

"Of course," she answered right away with a smile. Her smile faded into a grimace. "Well, your sister is dragging me shopping me beforehand, but I'll be ready by seven."

"You're going shopping again?" I groaned. "You just went last week!"

Bella grimaced. "Believe me, I know." Her face suddenly changed and a small smirk lit up her face. "I promise I'll buy you something for you."

"Alright, love," I assented. "But don't let Alice pick it out. The last shirt she bought me had this…"

Bella cut me off by pressing a finger to my lips. "Who said you'd be the one wearing it?" she purred, reaching into her shirt collar and tugging on her bra strap as a clue.

_Oh. _I chuckled quietly at her words. "Well then by all means, knock yourself out, love." I pulled her in closer so she could hear what I had to say next. "But remember, it will probably be spending more time on the floor tonight than it will be spending on you…"

Bella opened her mouth to reply when someone else spoke for her.

"We can all hear you two, you know." Emmett growled from the couch.

Bella blushed. "Shut up, Emmett." She growled back.

About twenty minutes later, Alice and Rose dragged a very reluctant Bella out of our suite to shop. I was just settling back on to the couch next to Emmett with a fresh beer in hand, when Jasper came storming into our suite. He threw his bag in the vicinity of the coat closet and slumped down in the recliner.

I glanced at Emmett who shrugged. "What's up, Jas?" I asked cautiously.

He looked up at me, a gleam of helplessness in his dark blue eyes. "I have a predicament." He said, warily.

"Whoa," Emmett said, throwing up his hands up. "If this is one of those 'guy problems' we really aren't the people you should be talking to."

I laughed as Jasper threw him a disgusted look. "No you asshole," Jasper said disgustedly. "It's Alice." he sighed.

I stiffened and glared at him. "What the fuck do you mean?" I said through gritted teeth. If he did anything to hurt my little sister…

"It's nothing bad," he hurried to say. I relaxed slightly but was still cautious. "I love her and I want to ask her to move in with me." He said with a small smile.

"Then whats the issue?" Emmett asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"I… I…" Jasper struggled for the right words. "I don't know how to ask her."

Emmett and I laughed. "That's it?" Emmett guffawed. "Fuck, Jas, you had us thinking that she was dying or something."

"Yeah," Jasper looked sheepish. He turned to me and his face turned hopeful. "Actually you may be able to help me with this, Edward."

"Me?" I asked incredulously. "Why me?"

"Well, Alice is your sister and the fact that you, I don't know, have one of the most perfect relationships I've ever seen." He said, like it was obvious.

"It's not that perfect…" I scoffed.

"The hell it is!" Emmett boomed. "You've been together for six years and you two barely fight. You always look like you're shitting sunshine, you're always hugging and kissing, and don't forget I share a wall with you." He grimaced.

I scowled at him and punched him in the shoulder. "You listen?" I hissed. "Do you know fucking disgusting that is?" Jasper howled in laughter.

"I don't try to," Emmett looked sickened. "You two aren't exactly quiet."

I turned away from Emmett in abhorrence. "So how can I help?"

"Help me figure out how to ask her." Jasper said desperately. "How did you ask Bella?"

"Well…" I sighed, running my hand through my hair. "We were waking up one morning and she said something about how she liked waking up next to me." I smiled at the memory. Emmett made a face at the implied image of us in the same bed. "I realized that I never wanted to wake up without her again. I wanted to come home to her everyday and vice versa. So I just asked her."

"Just like that?" Jasper asked incredulously. "No grand gesture?"

"Nope, I just asked her. It suited our relationship, you know? Simplicity," I said, shrugging.

Jasper sighed before a smile spread across his face. "I got it."

He sat back in the recliner and turned back to the TV, munching on a few chips he grabbed out of a bowl on the coffee table.

Emmett and I just stared at him. "Well…?" Emmett asked, impatient as usual.

"Not saying," Jasper mumbled.

"Jackass…" I grumbled and sat back on the couch.

**A/N: **Hope you liked my first chapter! More later.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrowed the characters for a bit. I promise to give them back. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

BPOV

"Alright!" Alice chirped, coming to stand in front of Rose and I. "I'm ready to go whenever you guys are."

Rose and I nodded, gathered our shopping bags and purses, and followed Alice out of the store. As we walked towards where Alice's vibrant yellow Porsche was parked, they asked me where Edward and I were going on our date tonight.

"I have no idea. You know Edward…" I rolled my eyes. Everyone knew Edward loved his surprises. I was usually the one on the receiving end. I wondered where he was taking me tonight; I hoped it was that little… I gasped. "Shit!" I groaned, turning on my heel and walking back down Newbury Street.

"Bella?" Alice and Rose called, running along behind me.

"I… Um…" I sighed, slightly embarrassed. "I have to make one more stop." I knew the bright red blush coloring my cheeks would give me away soon.

I turned into Victoria's Secret and heard Alice and Rose laughing behind me.

"Ooo…" Rose said teasingly. "In need of some sexy underwear, Bells?"

I scowled at her as I unbuttoned my black twill trench coat. "Yes," I mumbled as I headed for a pile of lace.

"Is Bella getting laaaaid?" Alice teased.

"On a regular fucking basis." I growled at her.

We laughed and they started digging through the pile as well. After we'd shopped around for about a half an hour, all three of us left the store satisfied with our purchases and at least a hundred dollars poorer.

"So why the need of a new sexy bra and underwear now, Bells?" Alice asked with a gleam of mischief in her eyes. "We just bought some last week."

I folded down the passenger seat of her Porsche and climbed in the back. "I promised Edward." I grumbled too low for them to hear.

"What was that?" Rose teased as she slid in the passenger seat.

"I promised Edward, okay?" I said, louder this time. "We haven't… you know… in a few days – which is pretty long for us – because I had that huge paper to write, so I just wanted to make our anniversary really special." I looked down at my lap.

"Sorry, Bella," Rose said. "We were just teasing."

"I know, Rose." I threw her a smile, letting her know I wasn't actually mad at them.

"So what you're saying is," Alice said throwing me a look in the rear view mirror. "Is that you and Edward not having sex in three days is a long time for you two?"

Of course that's the part Alice focused on. "Yeah," I answered her.

Rose whistled. "Damn Bells," She turned around in her seat to face me. "So how often do you two do it?" she eagerly asked, like a kid asking for ice cream before dinner.

"Almost every day," I quipped, arching my eyebrow at her. "No less than five times a week. Very rarely is it less than that."

Alice pulled the car to a stop at a red light. "Are you fucking kidding me?" she yelled, turning around in her seat to face me. Her mouth was wide open.

I turned to Rose for help but her mouth was gaping too. "What?" I asked, confused why they were looking at me like I had an extra nose.

"I'm so jealous…" Alice whispered in wonder, shaking her head.

"Alice!" I hissed. "He's your brother!"

She wrinkled her nose. "God, no Bells, not because of Edward. Jazzy and I are lucky if we do it three times a week."

"Seriously?" I asked in disbelief. The concept was unimaginable to me. I looked over to Rose.

She nodded. "Four times a week is really good for Emmett and me."

I sat back in my seat and smirked at them. "I would go crazy."

Alice rolled her eyes and turned back around just in time for the light to turn green. "So now that we've established that Isabella Swan is a sex fiend…"

"Hey!"

"It's true Bella. Embrace the addiction." Alice teased before sticking her tongue out at me through the rear view mirror. "What's new with you Rose?" She glanced at Rose before turning right onto Commonwealth Ave.

"Nothing much," By the sound of Rose's voice, she definitely had something on her mind.

"Spit it out, Rose." I tapped the back of her head rest.

She threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine, it's just Emmett and I've been dating for over four years and there's been no sign of commitment on his part." She looked to me. "I mean, you and Edward are moving together and getting married," She turned her head to Alice. "And I know that you and Jasper will move in together now that Bella's moving out, even if you two haven't discussed it yet. I just feel like there hasn't been any indication that Emmett and I are going anywhere." She turned in her seat to look at me. "What do you think I should do, Bella?"

"Why are you asking me?" I asked incredulously.

She rolled her eyes like it was obvious. "Well I think we've already established this evening that out of the three of us, you're in the most successful relationship. I want your advice."

"Well," I sighed, running a hand through my hair – a habit I picked up from Edward. "For starters, you shouldn't measure you relationship against ours," I gestured between Alice and I. "I mean, Edward and I have been dating for six years."

"Yeah," Alice chirped. "Every relationship is different and moves at its own pace."

"I think you should just talk to Emmett." I shrugged. "Emmett is a very auditory person. He's a really good listener and he loves you so much Rose. If he knew this is how you felt, he would do anything in the world to make you happy."

Rose smiled one of her brilliant smiles. "Thanks, Bells."

"No problem," I said as Alice pulled up in front of our dorm. "Tell me how it goes."

EPOV

I climbed the stairs to Bella's dorm room as quickly as I possibly could. I couldn't wait to see Bella, even if I saw her a few hours ago; I was just excited for our date. I walked down the hall and waved to Bella's neighbors, Lauren and Jessica. They went to our high school and I think they were in Bella's class. Jessica was a nice enough girl, that Lauren however, creeped me the fuck out. She was always hitting me on me, even when Bella was with me.

I finally reached Bella's door and knocked three times. A second later I heard a crash and loud giggles. When the door finally opened, instead of seeing my fiancée's beautiful face, I saw my sister's.

"Um, hi, Ali," I said as she ushered me inside. "I thought you were over Jasper's."

"I'm going there later," She smirked. "I couldn't resist helping Bella get ready." She started to walk towards her room. "That loud crash you heard was Bella running back into her bedroom because she wasn't ready yet. She knocked over the coffee table." I heard her break into another round of laugher as she closed the door to her room. Everyone knew of Bella's chronic clumsiness.

I was chuckling as I walked to Bella's door. "Bella, love?" I called.

"Yeah?"

"I'll be on the couch when you're done."

"I'll be out in a second!" she promised.

Sure enough, after only sitting on the couch for twenty-three seconds – I counted, sue me – I heard the door creak open and the clicking of heels on the wooden floor.

Bella came to stand before me and nearly made my heart stop beating. She was wearing a knee-length dark purple dress. Her hair was left in its usual curly state, but it appeared shinier and fuller. She looked absolutely stunning.

"Do I look okay?" she asked self-consciously, fiddling with hem of her dress. "It's not too casual, is it? I didn't know where we were going so I –"

I stood and cut her off with a kiss. "You look perfect," I whispered as I held her face between my hands. Even in her heels, her five foot four inch body only came up to the middle of my chest. "Happy anniversary, I love you."

"Happy anniversary, I love you, too." She smiled. "So will you tell me where we're going tonight?" she asked hopefully.

I nodded and took her hand, leading her over to where her coat rested on the back of a chair. I held it out for her to slide her arms through. "We're going to the little Italian restaurant in the North End then I'd thought we could take a little walk through the Public Gardens."

Bella's face lit up. "The place we went for our first anniversary?" I nodded. "That sounds wonderful, baby!" She gave me a small peck then went to collect her purse.

Our date was one of the best we've ever had. _Amore Bella _had the best fettuccini I've ever tasted and Bella seemed to really enjoy her mushroom ravioli. Our effortless conversation flowed seamlessly all night, no awkward silences in sight. After sharing a dessert of chocolate lava cake, we caught a cab over to the Public Gardens.

"How was shopping today?" I asked, pressing a kiss to our joined hands as we walked through the dark park.

She shrugged. "It was fine." She suddenly started grinning as if she remembered something funny.

"What?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, it's nothing," she giggled. "Alice and Rose were asking me about our date tonight. I said it was sort of a special night because, you know, it's been a few days, and Alice couldn't wrap her head around that a few days without sex for us is a long time. I explained that we very rarely have sex less than five times a week and it was like I told them that I live on the moon, they were so shocked."

I laughed. This sounded like it was an extremely embarrassing conversation for Bella. She got so uncomfortable when she was talking about sex, like she was a prude. But of course, I know for a fact that she's anything but a prude…

"Anyway," she continued. "They went on to say that if they have sex four times in a week they consider it an extraordinary week." She giggled. "I think they think I'm some sort of relationship expert now."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, Rose asked me for relationship advice and when I asked why she would ask me, she and Alice went on and on about how perfect our relationship is. And how, out of the three of us, I was in the most successful relationship."

I kissed her cheek. "They're right." She smiled up at me and I pressed my lips lightly to hers. "So what was Rose's problem? She and Emmett seem to be doing great, to me."

She sighed. "She wants more of a commitment from Emmett, or at least a sign that he's willing to commit."

I squeezed her hand. "What did you tell her to do?"

"To just talk to Emmett," she looped her arm through mine. "I said that Em loves her so much and he'd do anything to make her happy."

"That's good advice, love," I hugged her closer. A thought suddenly popped into my head. Her conversation with Rose and Alice reminded me of my conversation with Jasper and Emmett. "I had a similar conversation with Emmett and Jasper today."

"You told my brother we have sex every day and he didn't kill you?" she gasped.

"No, not that conversation," I shuddered even thinking about what Emmett would do to me. "Jasper asked for my advice today about how he should ask Alice to move in with him."

Bella smiled widely. "He's going to ask her to move in with him?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah," I nodded. "And when I asked him why he was asking for my advice, he said it was because we had such a perfect relationship."

"Mmm…" she sighed, resting her head on my shoulder. "It is, isn't it?"

"It is, my love," I kissed the top of her head.

"Since when did we become Dear Abby?" she asked, her voice slightly muffled by my jacket.

I laughed. "I don't know, beautiful."

We walked the rest of the way in relative silence, pointing out pretty flowers or trees here and there. When Bella started shivering and huddling into my side against the biting November wind, I knew it was time to go.

"Your place or mine?" she asked as we waited for a cab.

A cab pulled over and we rushed inside. "Why, Miss Swan, you're assuming I'm putting out tonight!" I gasped overdramatically.

"The hell you aren't," she growled. "And that's Mrs. Cullen-to-be, buddy." She poked my chest and laughed, before leaning over and giving the cabbie the address of my dorm.

I pulled Bella into my arms and she snuggled into my chest. "Thanks, baby," she sighed.

"For what, love?"

"The date, it was wonderful. I missed you over the last few days." she pressed a kiss to my jaw.

I sighed and pulled her closer. "Me too, love." I pulled her in for a kiss and suddenly the tension from before came crashing down over the two of us. Soon we were kissing in a way that was certainly not appropriate in front of the cab driver.

As soon as we pulled up to my dorm, I threw a couple of bills on the front seat and pulled Bella out of the cab. Within five minutes, Bella and I fell into bed in a pile of tangled arms and legs.

***

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><p><strong>AN: **I hoped you like chapter 2! Chapter 3 will be out sometime tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

**Here comes the parents: Chief Charlie, Crazy Renee, and of course Carlisle and Esme!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

BPOV

Sometime during the early morning hours of Wednesday, I woke up with a dry throat and a dry mouth. Not wanting to wake Edward, I carefully extricated myself from his arms and legs and got out of bed. I pulled on my underwear and Edward's black button down shirt that he'd worn last night and quietly made my way to the little kitchen.

I got out a glass and filled it up with water. I sipped my drink and looked out the window above the sink at the almost full moon. I was thinking about Thanksgiving on Thursday and how we were all going to the Cullens this year, when someone cleared their throat behind me.

I gasped and turned around, nearly dropping my glass of water. "Em!" I chided, holding the two sides of Edward's shirt tightly closed with one hand and thanking god I decide to put clothes on before I left Edward's room. "Shit! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, Baby B," he grumbled. He looked me up and down and frowned. "Would it kill you to put more clothes on when you go to the kitchen?"

"I didn't know you were here," I defended. "I thought you were at Rose's,"

"Humph," he grumbled and headed back to his room.

I finished my water and set the glass in the sink. I made my way back to Edward's room, shed the clothes I was wearing, and climbed back into bed. I snuggled into Edward's warm body and felt his arms wrap around my back. Just as I was drifting back to sleep, I felt his arms hug me closer.

In the morning, I woke to the feeling of someone running their fingers up and down my spine. I sighed and arched my back, feeling my joints crack with of lack of use. I finally opened my eyes and met the piercing emerald green ones of my Edward.

I tangled my fingers into his untamable, red-brown hair and pulled his face to mine for a small kiss.

"Morning," I sighed, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Morning, sweetheart," Edward whispered, pressing kisses to my neck and jaw. "You ready for this weekend?"

Sighed heavily and nodded. "Yeah, I'm all packed." I glanced around his messy room. "I can see that you're not." I shoved him off of me playfully and sat on the edge of the bed. But Edward was having none of that. Being the six-foot two inch man that he was, he was able to tug me back with just one arm around my middle. I yelped and fell backwards. When I managed to sit back up, I glared at Edward.

"Come on, baby," I stood up and threw my underwear and bra back on. He groaned and sat up as well. I went over to his dresser and opened the middle drawer, my drawer. I pulled on the pair of extra gray sweatpants I kept here and one of Edward's football sweatshirts from high school that was a bit small on him now. It was well worn and maroon with gray lettering. It said Brookline High Football on the front and Cullen and his number, 11, on the back. I threw a pair of his sweatpants at him.

"Pack," I instructed him, as I pulled his duffel bag out of the closet. "We have to leave in twenty minutes!" I whined when he didn't move from the bed. Alright, Edward if that's how you want to play, time to pull out the big guns. "Edward, if you don't pack now, we're definitely not having sex tonight…" I smirked when he shot out of bed and stuffed clothes into the duffel bag. Silly boy, since when have we ever had sex when we were staying at his parents' house? They never let us sleep in the same room.

After Edward dressed and finished packing, we walked into the living room hand-in-hand. Everyone was waiting for us, all packed and ready to go. Alice handed me the bag I packed yesterday with a smirk and a suggestive glance at Edward's wild hair. I rolled my eyes and smiled back at her.

We all piled into the SUV that Emmett rented for the weekend. Emmett drove and Rose curled up in the passenger seat beside him. Alice and Jasper sat in the middle row, Alice's head resting on Jasper's shoulder. Edward and I squeezed into the back row. The space wasn't very big so I was practically sitting in Edward's lap, if the kisses he was pressing to my neck was any evidence, I don't think he minded. Luckily we weren't going very far. Otherwise I might have jumped Edward in the backseat. The usually short twenty minute drive to Brookline, felt like forever. As soon as we pulled up in front of the modest, white, two-story house where I'd grown up, we spilled out of the SUV and made our way up the stone walkway.

"Here we go," Jasper murmured.

It was a well known fact amongst the six of us that my mom, Renee, could get a little over excited when Emmett and I came to visit. She was very observant and extremely happy. All the freaking time. It's like she takes uppers with breakfast every morning. She can be incredibly overwhelming.

I heard my mom before I saw her. There was a loud shout from inside and then the bright red front door flew open. I looked over to Emmett and we rolled our eyes. We all approached the door wearily until my mom flew out of the house and pulled Emmett and I into a group hug.

"Hi, Mom," Emmett and I said together, patting her back in an effort to get her to loosen her hold on us.

"Bella, Emmett," she said happily. "My babies are home!"

She finally let us go and turned to rest of the group. She pulled Alice in for a hug next. "Alice, you look great!"

"Thanks, Renee!" Alice smiled at my mom and skipped into my parents' house with Jasper close behind her.

"Edward!" My mom yelled. She gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She's always liked Edward.

Edward's cheeks turned a little pink. "Hi, Renee, how are you?"

"I'm fine, dear," She looped her arm in mine and started to pull me inside. "I'm anxious to have your mother's turkey tomorrow." She said to Edward. "She always cooks it exactly right! What is her secret?"

"Probably to remember there's a turkey in the oven." I murmured lowly to Emmett. His booming laugh echoed in the silent neighborhood, earning dirty looks from our mother.

I managed to escape my mother's arms once we were inside the door, when she started complimenting Rose on her hair. I scampered over to Edward and he wrapped me in his arms protectively.

"Jeez, Renee," I heard a gruff voice say. "At least give the kids a minute to breathe."

My dad came around the corner and attempted to pry Renee away from Rose.

"Chief!" Alice squealed and flung herself into Charlie's arms.

"Hey, Alice, how are you?" Growing up, Alice had everyone wrapped around her little finger, even Charlie Swan, Chief of Police.

"Hey, Dad," Emmett gave Charlie one of those manly, pat on the back hugs.

I let go of Edward for a minute and made my way to Charlie. "Hi, Daddy," I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Bells," He squeezed me back and let me go. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Daddy."

He looked me over and frowned. "Why are you wearing Edward's sweatshirt?"

Everyone started laughing as I blushed. "Oh… well… I… um…" I stammered as I backed towards Edward.

"Well it's obvious she stayed over Edward's last night and didn't have any clothes for the morning, Charlie!" Renee said brightly, patting him on the arm.

I groaned. "We've been here for five minutes and they're already talking about our sex life…" I mumbled so only Edward could hear as hid my face in his shirt.

Edward laughed and shook Charlie's hand. "Hey, Charlie, how are you?"

Charlie grunted. "I'm fine. When are you going to make an honest woman out of my daughter?"

"Dad!" I glared at Charlie.

Thankfully, Edward laughed and wrapped an arm around my waist. "Hopefully soon. We're thinking about mid-April, maybe during spring break."

Renee squealed. "Oh, I'm so excited! My baby girl, getting married!" she swooned.

"Alright, we're going to see Carlisle and Esme now, Mom." I walked quickly towards the door, pulling Edward and Alice with me.

Everyone was still laughing as they followed me out. "Okay, dear! Be sure to call later to say goodnight!" Renee called as we started walking down the sidewalk. Edward, Alice, Jasper, and I all grabbed our bags out of the car since we were staying at the Cullen's tonight. Emmett and Rose lost the game of rock, paper, scissors and had to stay at my parents'.

The Cullen's house is the biggest on the block. We grew up in a wealthy neighborhood, but the only reason my family lives here is because my dad is the chief of police. It's just a short two minute walk down the street to the Cullen house. Well, I guess it's more of a mansion, really. It's a three-story colonial style house, built in 1786, with two multi-story columns framing the large wooden front door that supported a balcony jetting off the third floor.

The first floor houses the kitchen, dining room, living room, a bathroom, the master bedroom, Carlisle's office, and a game room. The second floor belongs to Alice. Along with her bedroom and immense bathroom, she also has two whole rooms for her wardrobe, one for clothes and one for shoes. The third floor is all Edward's. He has a small gym, which he shares with his father, and a music room, which houses his beautiful baby grand piano and the two guitars he didn't take to college. Not to mention his huge bedroom and bathroom. When we were in high school, Edward and I would always sneak up to his room for some… uh… alone time.

As soon as we started walking up the steps to the huge wrap-around porch, the heavy wooden door flew open and the kind, soothing voice of Esme Cullen welcomed us inside.

"Hello, everyone! Come in and set your things down." She pulled Edward into her arms, the top of her bronze hair only coming up to his chin.

"Hi, Mom," Edward said as he kissed her cheek.

Esme blushed slightly at her son's sweet gesture. She greeted Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rose before she faced me. I smiled at her and she pulled me to her in a bone-crushing hug. "Bella," She pulled back and held one of my hands. She spun me around to get a good look at me. "You look fantastic, dear."

"Thank you," I said shyly, feeling the blush rush to my cheeks.

With one last squeeze to my hand, Esme released me and turned to everyone. "Feel free to do whatever you like until dinner. I'll be in the kitchen getting dinner ready for when Carlisle comes home in a few hours." She gave us a big smile and walked off in the direction of the kitchen.

"Wanna play some pool?" Emmett suggested.

Jasper and Rose nodded and started to follow him towards the game room. Edward gave me a quick peck, knowing I probably wouldn't join them in the game room, and followed quickly behind.

Alice and I decided to spend some quality time with Esme. Esme has been more of a mother to me in the past fifteen years I've known her than Renee had been in all twenty-one years. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom, it's just I don't think she was built for motherhood. She's too much of a free spirit.

Alice and I walked into the huge bright kitchen, where Esme was leaning up against the counter, wine glass and recipe in hand. We pulled two stools over and sat at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Hello, ladies!" Esme said brightly. "You didn't have to join me."

"No we wanted to, Mom." Alice said. "You know how Rose and the boys get when there's pool and video games involved. They get really competitive and then just piss Bella and me off. So we decided to cut to the chase and just come straight here." She explained.

Esme laughed. "Yes, that does sound about right. Can I get you girls anything to drink?"

"I'll have some of that wine if you're offering!" I chuckled, gesturing to her glass in her hand.

Esme nodded and looked at Alice.

"I'll have some too!" Alice said hopefully. Esme chuckled and shook her head. "Why? You're giving Bella some!" she whined.

"Bella is of age. You, my darling daughter, are not." Esme said with a tiny smirk on her face. Alice had always been younger than anyone else in our class in grade school. She was very smart and got to skip second grade.

Alice huffed. "Fine. I'll just have some Coke."

Esme poured us our drinks and set them on the island before us. "So, how's college, girls?" Esme asked as she started making dinner.

"Fine," we answered in unison.

Esme laughed lightly. "Yeah, I know it's not the fun part of your lives." She turned to face us and rested her elbows on the island, leaning in as if we were going to tell her all the town gossip. "So I'll ask the question I really wanted to ask, how's your personal lives, girls?"

The three of us laughed together. "Bella's personal life is pretty great right now." Alice offered with a smirk.

Esme turned to me expectantly. "Well," I began. "Edward and I are going to start looking for our own place when we get back to school on Monday." I smiled.

"That's great, Bella!" Esme said. "If you two need help finding an apartment, I have a friend who's a realtor downtown."

"Thanks, Esme," I sighed.

"Tell her the other thing!" Alice bounced excitedly, clapping her hands together.

I giggled at her exuberance. "Edward and I have tentatively set the date for our wedding for sometime during spring break and we asked Alice to help plan it."

Esme's smile was blinding. "That's so great to hear!" she sighed. "I can't wait until you join the family for real, darling."

Three hours later, just as Alice and I were setting the table, we heard the front door open and shut loudly.

"Esme?" Carlisle called from the front hall. "If the six pairs of shoes by the front door are any indication, I'm guessing the kids arrived safe and sound?"

Alice and I giggled and quickly finished setting the table. When we walked into the front hall, we found Carlisle with his hands on his hips, frowning down at the shoes by the door. He'd obviously just come from the hospital, he still wore his coat and his briefcase was sitting by his feet.

"Uh, Dad?" Alice chuckled. "What are you doing?"

Carlisle sighed before turning his smile to us. "I was trying to guess which shoes went with person."

Alice and I giggled. Alice ran over and threw herself into her dad's arms. "Dad!" she kissed him on the cheek and let him go.

"Hello, sweetheart," he kissed the top of Alice's head. "Hello, Bella," He greeted me warmly with a small squeeze to my shoulder as he walked by me to kitchen to say hello to Esme.

We all sat down to dinner ten minutes later. Dinner was full of laughter, good conversation, and very good food. After everyone finished eating, Emmett and Rose announced that it was time they head back to my parents' house.

After the door swung shut behind Emmett and Rose, Esme turned to the four of us with a stern look on her face. "Sleeping arrangements will be as followed," she threw her children a look that dared them to argue with her. "Alice can have her old room, Jasper will sleep on the pull-out couch in the game room and," she turned to Edward and I, her face wary. "Bella and Edward can sleep in his old room."

Edward and I quietly high-fived behind my back so no one would see us.

"But, Mom!" Alice complained. "How come Bella and Edward can sleep in the same room? Doesn't that go against the rules of the house?"

Edward and I knew when it was time to go. "Goodnight!" We yelled as we grabbed our bags and started up the stairs. I laughed when I heard Esme explain to Alice that engaged or married couples sleeping in the same room does not violate the rules of the house.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked my third 4 should be out sometime tomorrow.  
><strong>

**Next up: Thanksgiving!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:  
><strong>Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back :)

Here's Thanksgiving at the Cullen house and what's the holidays without a little family drama? Also this chapter includes the first of many flashbacks in this story! 

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><p><strong><strong>

**Chapter 4**

A loud crash from somewhere downstairs woke me with a start. I squinted against the harsh rays of sunlight streaming through the open blinds. I groaned and rolled over, my hand hitting Edward in the face.

"Edward," I mumbled.

No response. More crashes came from below.

"Edward," I said a little louder. "Your family is making noise."

He groaned and hugged me closer. "Ignore them." He brushed the hair behind my shoulder and kissed my neck.

Just as I was relaxing back into the mattress and drifting off to sleep, our door banged opened and hit the wall behind it.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Alice yelled from the doorway.

Edward and I groaned simultaneously. "Get out, Alice," Edward growled.

Alice rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. "Mom asked me to come up here, brother of mine. Its ten-thirty, she doesn't want you to sleep all day. Don't make me come over there and rip the sheets off you because I really don't want to see you two naked. Besides," she sighed. "Emmett is lonely watching the parade by himself and we could use Bella's help in the kitchen. Rose and Renee are useless."

"Oh God," I groaned and scrubbed my hand over my face. I sat up, making sure the sheet covered my naked body. "My mother is here?"

"Yep," Alice giggled. She danced out of the room. "Don't make me come up here again!" she called as she started down the stairs.

Edward and I hurried to get down stairs, hoping that Renee wouldn't remark on how long we stayed in bed. We showered together to… uh… save water… and quickly dressed in our Alice-approved outfits.

We walked down the three flights of stairs hand-in-hand and into the hot kitchen. It was a mess. The usually immaculate kitchen was overrun with pots and pans. Steam rose from every pot on the stove and half completed dishes were strewn across the counter tops.

"Oh my god," I gasped. "What happened in here?"

Esme looked frazzled while Renee beamed proudly. "I'm helping to cook dinner this year!"

Oh no. This was not good. My mom is a horrible cook; she would burn water if it was possible. "Great, Mom, but why don't you go watch the game with the boys? You can wow them with all the football knowledge I taught you last year…" I smiled as her face lit up.

I love football. I mean, I can't play the sport but I love watching it. Emmett and my dad watched it growing up and they taught me everything I know. Some of my favorite memories of my childhood are of watching Patriots' games on Sunday afternoons with my dad and brother.

"Oh, yes!" Renee clapped her hands together. "I can teach them about the tumbles and inceptions!" she exclaimed excitedly as she ran from the room. I heard Esme sigh in relief.

I laughed. "I think she meant fumbles and interceptions." I whispered to Edward and giggled as I buried my face in his chest.

Four hours later, dinner was close to being ready when Esme told me I should take a break. I walked out of the kitchen only to be approached by a nervous looking Rose.

"Hey, Bells," She wouldn't look me in the eye. "I just wanted you to know that I slept in your room last night." She mumbled. "I hope that's alright. I just couldn't…" She trailed off and lifted her tear filled eyes to mine.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the stairs, signaling Alice to follow when I caught her eye. Without thinking, I pulled Rose up the three flights of stairs to Edward's room which I guess I think of as mine too, and sat her down on his leather couch. Alice and I took seats on either side of her, holding each of her hands.

"What happened, Rose?" I asked quietly.

"Well, I had that whole commitment talk with Emmett like you guys said and he completely freaked out. He started saying things like 'Why should we change things, if they're so great right now?' and if I actually loved him…" Rose's eyes filled with tears again and her bottom lip quivered.

"He said WHAT?" I yelled. _I'm gonna kill him!_

"So I just couldn't stay in the same room with him anymore. I'm sorry I used your room, Bella. It just seemed for comfortable than the living room couch." Rose continued between sniffled.

I ran my hand roughly through my hair. "I'm gonna kill him." I muttered, mostly to myself. "He such a fucking idiot. And don't even worry about sleeping in my room, Rose. I would have done the same thing."

"I don't know what I'm going to do!" Rose sobbed and hung her head.

It was in that moment that Edward decided to walk in the room. "Hey, what are you –" He looked at the three of us, me pulling my hair, Rose sobbing, and Alice looking like she wanted to rip Emmett's balls off, and backed out of the room and shut the door behind him.

_Good boy._

After Alice and I calmed Rose down and after Alice insisted Rose have a sleepover with her tonight, we all made our way back downstairs. Alice and Rose went to sit in the kitchen with Esme and I was pulled by a pair of strong arms down the dark hall that led to Carlisle's office.

"Is everything alright, love? Is Rose okay?" Edward asked worriedly.

I sighed and shook my head sadly. I told him everything Rose told me about Emmett and saw his jaw tense and his eyes harden. "I feel so bad for her." I added in a whisper to him. "My brother is such a little shit."

Edward kissed the top of my head. "He'll come around. He'll see how much he needs and misses Rose and he'll crawl back to her on his hands and knees."

"God, I hope so, for all our sakes."

* * *

><p>EPOV<p>

I was impressed. Dinner was only a half hour late this year, even with Renee's "help". As Carlisle handed out the last plate of turkey to Emmett, the ten of us finally dug in. The food was delicious, as usual. Bella and my mom were a wicked team in the kitchen.

"So kids," Dad asked as he set his fork down. "What's new?"

Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett all grumbled the customary "nothing," while Bella and I remained silent.

Carlisle eyed us speculatively. "Anything new Edward?"

I smiled and took Bella's hand in mine. "Well we do have some news to share…"

Renee shrieked and bounced in her seat. "Oh my gosh! You're pregnant!"

"WHAT?" Charlie spat, glaring in my direction.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Relax, Dad," She squeezed my hand. "I'm not pregnant." Her voice dropped at the end in… _disappointment?_ I made a mental note to ask her about that tonight. "What Edward was going to say is that when we go back to school on Monday, we're going to start looking for an apartment together."

"Oh… well… good." Charlie spluttered.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "So did you two pick a date yet?"

"Yeah," Bella nodded and took a sip of her wine. "We're thinking about sometime during spring break."

"Why don't you have it here?" Esme asked.

I smiled down at Bella. I knew she'd think it would be too generous, but it was impossible to say no to my mom. "Oh, we couldn't impose like that." Bella said hurriedly.

"We insist, Bella." Carlisle nodded.

Bella looked up at me and I nodded. "Okay, then. We accept."

After dinner, I waited for Emmett to make his a run to the bathroom and followed him. I leaned against the wall and waited for him to leave. When he did, I surprised him and pinned him against the opposite wall.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emmett struggled against my arm.

"I gave you too much credit, Em," I shook my head in disgust. "I thought you were smarter."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Edward?"

"Rose," I sneered. "How could you be so stupid, Em?" I let him go and shoved him against the wall roughly.

Emmett hung his head and covered his face with his hands. "I know!" he groaned. "I fucked everything up. It's just when she started talking about moving together and getting married and _kids_…" he gulped loudly and lifted his head. "I just freaked out!"

"Fix it, Emmett," I demanded as I walked away. "Fix it quickly before she never speaks to your fucking stupid ass ever again."

After Renee, Charlie, and Emmett left later that night and everyone in this house had gone to bed, Bella and I decided to shut off the TV and head up to bed. We dressed in our usual pajamas – a pair of flannel pants and no shirt for me, and a tank top and tiny sleep shorts for Bella – and fell into bed together. Bella rolled on to her back and folded one of her arms behind her head. I propped myself on one elbow and looked down at her.

"Sweetheart," I said quietly. "Can I ask you something?"

She threw me a small smile. "Of course, Edward."

I rested my hand on her hip and played with the hem of her tank top. "Were you upset when Renee thought you were pregnant?"

Bella's cheeks turned pink and she looked away from me. "A little," she said quietly.

"Why, love?" I hugged her closer to me. She took my hand from her hip and started playing with my fingers.

"I don't know," she sighed and rolled her neck so she was facing away from me. "I guess I kinda wished that I was…" She trailed off, almost as if she was scared of what I would say.

I rolled her over so I could look her in the eye. "Are you saying you want a baby now, love?"

She shook her head, her eyes still cast downward. "No, I know we're not a place to have a baby right now." She looked up at me. "But, I'd like one soon."

I planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Okay,"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Okay?"

"Okay." I nodded. "If you want a baby, we'll have a baby."

She frowned. "Well you have to want it too."

"I do, love," I reassured her and kissed her forehead. "I love kids and I can't wait to have them with you."

"Really?" she asked with a smile. "What if I said we should start trying to get pregnant right now?"

"I would say okay, love, throw out the condoms." I flopped down on the pillow beside her and pulled her against my chest as she giggled. "You just tell me whenever you're ready, and we'll start trying."

"I love you, baby." She said before pulling my head down for a long, lazy kiss.

"I love you, too, sweetheart." She nuzzled her head into the crook of my neck. "How many kids do you want?" I asked her quietly as I rubbed her back.

"Two or three," she answered, her voice slightly muffled by my neck. She lifted her head. "How many do you want?"

"Three," I answered right away. "Two girls and a boy."

"Mmm…" Bella hummed. "That sounds perfect."

I ran my hand from her hip, all the way down her thigh to her knee. I hitched her leg up over my hip and rolled so I was on top of her. "We could start practicing now, baby." I breathed, my lips an inch away from hers.

"Uh huh," she said dazedly.

You know how the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

_~Five and a half years ago~_

_BPOV_

_I woke up extra early today. Edward's been really sick for the past two days and I haven't seen him in at least three. I missed him way too much than was certainly healthy. _

_So it was that ache in my heart that had me standing outside the Cullen's house at seven-thirty in the morning. I hoped all the Cullens were already gone for the day as I pushed the heavy wooden door open. Before I could take one step into the house, I ran into Esme – literally. _

"_Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, Esme!" I hurried to apologize. _

_Esme smiled warmly. "Don't worry about it, dear." She looked me over and noticed my grey shoulder bag instead of my usual black backpack. "He's still asleep." She winked at me and shut the front door behind her without another word. _

_I stared at the door for a minute in shock before it registered in my head that I was alone in the Cullen's house with a sick and sleeping Edward. I went into the kitchen and got out the things I would need to take care of him today. I carried the tray of meds, water bottles, ice packs, a thermometer, and comfort food up the two flights of stairs to Edward's room. _

_I knocked lightly before entering, just in case. Edward's tall, lean form was stretched across the huge queen-sized bed, taking up as much space as he could. A box of tissue was sitting on the pillow next to him and a trash can full of used ones was beside the bed. I put the ice pack and water bottles in Edward's mini fridge by his bed and set the tray on his nightstand. _

_I toed off my tennis shoes and dropped my bag beside them. I slowly climbed into bed beside Edward and touched his forehead with the back of my hand. It was flaming hot. I lay down beside him and brushed his curly locks off his forehead before planting a kiss there. _

_About an hour later, I felt him start to stir beside me. I scooted to the other side of the bed to give him a little space to wake up. When he finally opened his gorgeous green eyes I gave him a big smile. He blinked rapidly and squeezed his eyes shut for a minute before opening them again. "Bella?" he asked hoarsely._

"_Good morning." I laughed lightly and moved closer to him. I put my hand on his cheek. "I came to take care of you. Alice told me you were really sick." My voice was laced with concern. _

_Edward shook his head. "You're ditching school. For me." _

_I nodded. "I'm here so you can get better so we can go see that movie you were raving about last week." I smirked at him. _

_I leaned in for a kiss but Edward pulled his head back and covered his mouth with his hand. "I don't want to get you sick, baby." _

"_It's been at least three days. You're not contagious anymore." I pulled his head to mine. _

_After a sweet, lengthy kiss hello, Edward pulled back, breathless. "Thank you for being here." He said as he rested his forehead to mine. _

"_No problem," I grinned. I reached around him and pulled a bottle of pills and a glass of water off of his nightstand. I pulled him to a sitting position and made him take two pills. _

_For the rest of the day, Edward and I laid curled up on his bed watching classic movies. We decided that our favorite one was _Casablanca._ Sometime in between the second and third round of movies, Edward and I shifted positions. I was now sitting up against the head board with Edward's back pressed tightly to my chest. My knees were bent on either side of his hips and the back of his head rested against my shoulder. I pulled an ice pack out of the mini fridge and placed it on Edward's forehead. The last time I check his temperature it was 101.2. I hoped the ice would be enough to cool him down. _

_I could feel Edward drifting to sleep in my arms so I kissed his temple. He shifted a little so his nose was pressed to the side of my neck. "Mmm…" He hummed in his sleep. "I love you, Bella." _

_I froze in shock. He loves me? Edward loves me. I beamed in happiness and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "I love you, too, Edward."_

* * *

><p><em><em>**A/N:  
><strong>Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Chapter 5 will be out sometime tomorrow! Next up: House Hunting! 


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back :)**

So Bella and Edward are buying a house! Here's House Hunting, Moving In, and a little bit of Christmas.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

EPOV

"So who is this person again?"

I sighed. It was the third time Bella asked me this question. "Mom told me her name is Ashley. She works for Mom's friend, Jane, who's a realtor. She should be here any minute."

Bella and I were sitting in a local coffee shop reading the paper, waiting for this Ashley person to show up.

Just as Bella got up to order us another round of coffee, someone walked up to our table and cleared their throat. I looked up from the sports page and saw a tall woman with long black hair standing across from me.

"Hi," she said purred. Fucking _purred_.

I blinked up at her. Who the hell was she? "Hello," I said politely.

"I'm Ashley Comer," she held out her hand. "You must be Edward Cullen." She appraised me with a hungry look in her eyes.

I shook her hand and dropped it quickly. I didn't like the way she was looking at me. "Nice to meet you."

"So," She dropped her purse on the table and flopped into the chair across from me. "What exactly are you looking for? A two bedroom or perhaps a bachelor pad…?" She smiled at me and winked suggestively. Fucking _winked_.

Before I could say anything, Bella walked up with our coffee. "Here you go, baby." She put my coffee in front of me and kissed my cheek. She sat in the chair next to me and took a sip of her latte. Only then did she notice the woman sitting across from us. "Oh, who's this?"

"This is Ashley, love, our realtor." I smirked in satisfaction at the look of shock on Ashley's face.

Bella smiled at her. "Hi, I'm Bella."

Ashley plastered an extremely fake smile on her face. "Hello," Her smiled faltered. "I'm sorry, it's just Jane never mentioned you had a girlfriend." She said to me.

"Fiancée," I amended, taking Bella's hand. "We're getting married in April."

"Oh… well congratulations." Ashley spluttered. "So, uh, how many bedrooms are you two thinking?" she asked.

"Two or three," Bella answered. "Three would be the best. We want kids really soon and we want to stay in the apartment for as long as possible."

I smiled down at Bella when she talked about having kids soon. "Yeah and it has to be on Beacon Hill, Back Bay, or Downtown. And we have no price range." Bella rolled her eyes and squeezed my hand. Bella hated that we were using my money to by our new place. I honestly couldn't care about using my trust fund. It's very big and I couldn't think of anything better to use my money for.

"Okay," Ashley said with a smile. "I have a few places that fill your criteria. Would you like to look at them today or would you rather look at them another day?"

"Today is fine." Bella said. "We don't have classes today."

"Alright, let's go then." Ashley still looked a little frazzled as she led us out of the coffee shop.

The first few places she showed us were nice, but they didn't feel right. One was a two bedroom apartment on Beacon Hill. Another was a three bedroom near Downtown Crossing. The third was closer to what we wanted but still wasn't exactly right. I could tell that Bella was starting to get tired. We'd all but given up for the day when Ashley took us to the last place of the day.

"This is a four bedroom, three and a half bath brownstone on Marlborough Street. A few blocks from the Copley square train station so you can get to school easily. Newbury Street is two blocks over and you could easily walk to the Commons and the Public Gardens from here." Ashley said as we got out of the cab.

We were now standing outside an elegant three-story, red-brick brownstone. It had six steps leading up to the front door, a wrought iron fence, and a small handkerchief size garden.

"Wow," Bella whispered as we walked through the front door.

"Hardwood floors, crown molding, a fully updated modern kitchen, working fireplaces…" Ashley smirked at the look on our faces. "I'll give you a few minutes to look around." She walked into another room.

Bella took my hand and we looked around in silence. There's a living room, dining room, bathroom, and kitchen on the first floor; a master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, two other bedrooms and bathroom on the second floor; and one bedroom and a bathroom on the third floor. It was perfect.

"What do you think, love?" I asked Bella quietly as we looked at the master bedroom again. "Can you see us raising our children here?"

Bella nodded and smiled. "It's perfect." Her brows furrowed. "You don't think it will be too expensive, do you?"

"Money isn't a problem, love," I assured her. "We talked about this."

"I know," She buried her face in my shirt. "I just don't want you to spend it all on this house. We may need it later in life."

"There's no way in hell we could spend it all on this house." I chuckled. "We could buy the house and furniture and we still wouldn't have to work and could live comfortably for the rest of our lives."

Bella smirked. "Really?"

"Yeah," I nodded and smiled. "Now let's go buy this house."

* * *

><p>BPOV<p>

"Holy shit, Alice," Rose exclaimed. "Calm down."

I laughed at the disparaged look on Alice's face. "Rose is right, Al."

Rose and Alice came with me to the furniture store to help me pick out furniture for our new place. After only a week of waiting, the realtor, Ashley, call and told us the owners of the brownstone accepted our offer. I was so excited to own my first house. Edward told me I should buy all the furniture I want today, and we could go back later if I forgot something.

Alice crossed her arms and pouted. "But, why wouldn't you want a white leather couch?" She asked like _I_ was being unreasonable. A white _leather_ couch. Honestly!

"I don't think kids and white furniture mix." I gasped and instantly slapped my hand over my mouth. _Shit. I didn't mean to say that!_

Alice and Rose gasped. "I thought you said you weren't pregnant!" Alice said a bit too loudly.

"I'm not!" I whisper shouted, looking around at all the people that started staring at us after Alice's outburst. I motioned for Rose and Alice to come closer. "Edward and I got to talking the other day and we both want kids really soon."

Alice smiled and Rose gasped quietly. "You guys are trying to get pregnant?" Rose asked quietly.

"Not now. But probably soon..."

"That's so great for you guys!" Alice squealed, flung her arms up in the air and spun in circles. "I'm going to be an aunt!"

"Calm down, Ali!" I laughed. "I'm not pregnant yet!"

"But you will be soon!" she giggled. "It won't take you long. I can feel it!"

"Come on, Auntie Alice," Rose rolled her eyes. "Let's pick out that furniture."

Several hours later, as we made our way to the checkout line, I asked Rose how she was doing.

"I'm okay." She nodded. "Emmett and I talked. He apologized and explained that he freaked out because he was scared. We're doing okay now. We're on the mend."

"That's good, Rose." I smiled. "That's really good."

* * *

><p>"Fuck, Emmett," I smacked the back of his head. "Be careful with that, it was Grandma Swan's! Mom just gave it to me!"<p>

"You were the one who asked me to help you move, Baby B!" Emmett grunted in exertion as he and Jasper lugged the huge wooden dining room table up the steps into my new home. "And I'm not the only one carrying this damn thing!"

"Yes but Jasper isn't the one bumping the legs on every step." Alice grumbled from behind Emmett.

I chuckled when Emmett and Jasper let out a huge sigh of relief as they dropped the table in the dining room.

Edward breezed past me into the kitchen with a big box in his hand. He set it down on the only remaining counter space and came over to wrap me in his arms. "That was the last box, love. We're officially moved in." He grinned my favorite lopsided grin and bent down to press his lips to mine.

All six of us congregated in the kitchen an hour later when the pizzas arrived. Apparently according to Emmett, it was some sort of unwritten rule that you have to supply your movers with pizza when the job was finished.

"Ahem! We have an announcement to make!" Alice said to get our attention. "Jasper and I are moving in together!"

After Alice and Jasper were congratulated by everyone and teased my Emmett, we threw away our trash and started unpacking boxes.

By the time the four of them left several hours later, most of the boxes were unpacked and our new house was starting to look like a home.

Edward pulled me into his arms from behind and kissed the top of my head. "I'm going to like living here." I said as I turned my head to press a kiss to his shoulder.

"Me too, love. We're going to be very happy here. I just know it."

* * *

><p>Only a week after we moved in, we were packing our bags again.<p>

"I don't want to go!" I whined as I pulled the covers of our monstrous king-sized bed over my head to block out the light. "I don't want to leave our new house."

I heard Edward shuffling around the room, opening drawers and stuffing clothes into our suitcase. "I know, baby, I don't want to go either." He sighed. "But it's Christmas and our parents wants us in Brookline." I felt the bed dip next to me and the covers were wrenched down over my head. "Just think, love," Edward murmured as he pressed a kiss to my forehead. "This will be our last Christmas where we have to stay with them. Next year we'll be married and maybe you'll be pregnant…" He grinned at the thought.

I smiled right back at him. "Hmm… well when you put it that way…"

* * *

><p>"Mom? I think you've had enough eggnog…"<p>

Thank god we'd be able to go to bed soon. My family is driving me up the wall!

All ten of us were in the Cullen's living room. Edward and I were sitting on the piano bench while Edward played some Christmas carols and Alice, Jasper, and Emmett sang along. Rose and Carlisle were sitting on the couch and laughing at them. Dad was playing with the iPhone that Mom gave to him this morning. Mom and Esme were sitting by the fire, drinking Eggnog and laughing hysterically.

I decided to ignore my drunk mother and watched Edward play. I laid my head on his shoulder and pressed a kiss to his neck. "You know," I whispered to him. "This time last year you were proposing to me."

Edward smiled and glanced at me briefly before turning back to the keys. "Hmm… so I was."

I laughed. "Merry Christmas, Edward."

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

* * *

><p><em>~Three months later~<em>

EPOV

One evening in early March, I was sitting on the couch in the living room drinking a beer and watching a basketball game on TV when I heard the front door slam.

"THAT FUCKING BASTARD!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hope you liked my fifth chapter! Chapter 6 should be up sometime tomorrow. Next up: Who's so angry and why?

Have a safe and happy New Year!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:  
><strong>Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)

Happy 2012! Hope you all had a good New Year.

So most of you think it's one of the ladies who is angry. And most of you said that anger is directed at Emmett. Well, we shall see! Here's a little conflict management and another flashback!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

EPOV

_One evening in early March, I was sitting on the couch in the living room drinking a beer and watching a basketball game on TV when I heard the front door slam. _

"THAT FUCKING BASTARD!"

Bella threw her bag by the door and stomped into the kitchen. I heard the fridge door open and shut loudly. I guessed that she was getting out the cookie dough; she always did that when she was upset. Bella stomped into the living room and threw herself on the couch next to me, her face contorted in anger.

She opened the tub of cookie dough and stuck a spoon in it. She ate three spoonfuls before I dared speak.

"What's wrong, love?" I asked quietly.

Bella turned to me and I saw tears in her eyes. "I just had a really bad day at school." She said as she started crying.

"Oh, baby," I whispered as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. She buried her face in my shoulder and wrapped her arms around my neck. I held her as she cried, occasionally rocking her back and forth.

She lifted her head and attempted a smile. I brushed the hair off her face and wiped the tears out of her eyes. "What happened?"

"At the beginning of this semester," Bella sniffled and shifted so she was sitting sideways across my lap. "The professor of my eighteenth century lit class started hitting on me. Subtly at first, so subtly that I didn't even notice until a girl in my class pointed it out. I tried to ignore it at first, but then a month ago he stopped me after class and asked me out. I turned him down politely, saying that I was getting married in two months and he was very disappointed." She paused.

"Go on," I said through gritted teeth.

Bella put a hand on my chest to calm me. "After that nothing happened for a while. Until this afternoon…" she trailed off and her bottom lip quivered.

"What did he do to you, Bella?" I took her face between my hands and looked into her red-rimmed, deep chocolate eyes, ready to hunt down the guy that made her feel this way.

"Nothing!" Bella sobbed. "He asked me out again and I reminded him that I was getting married in three weeks. He got mad that I turned him down again and when I tried to walk away he grabbed my wrist really hard." She pushed up her sleeve to show me her wrist. I nearly jumped off the couch to hunt down the fucking bastard when I saw the splotches of black and blue on her wrist.

"What's this bastard's name?" I growled.

Bella grabbed my face and forced me to look at her. "Baby, no!" she stroked my cheek with her thumbs. "You'll get expelled from school and we're almost done, Edward. We need to finish this part of our lives so we can start the next, getting married and having kids…" she smiled at me through her tears. "So I need you to leave this alone."

"How can I leave this alone, sweetheart?" I took her face in my hands. "Knowing that he hurt you?"

"Please, for me!" she begged. "I talked to my advisor and I can switch classes and still have enough credits to graduate in a couple months."

I kissed her lips lightly. "That's good. You should never have to see that awful man's face again, my love."

"And, I won't." She kissed my lips again. "I promise."

Bella and I prepared dinner together, vegetable and cheese calzones, one of our favorite meals. Bella did most of the work while I mostly stood there. I'm completely useless in the kitchen. We ate on the couch in front of the TV tonight and watched one of our favorite movies, _Casablanca_. We talked about the wedding some and made some final decisions about last minute details such as flowers or if we ordered too much food – things I knew absolutely nothing about – before Bella climbed into my lap and started kissing along my neck and jaw. I decided it was time for bed after that.

"Are you sure you're alright, sweetheart?" I asked her as we lay in our big bed later that night.

She nodded and ran her hands up and down my chest. "I really am fine. I was just a little shaken up before."

"Why didn't you tell me about this when he first asked you out, Bell?" I wrapped my hand around Bella's hip and ran my thumb over her tattoo.

She'd gotten the tattoo one night when she and Alice got really drunk off of wine coolers the summer after their senior year of high school. She's grown to like it but I loved it instantly. I still don't know where they'd gotten the wine coolers to this day. I was still awake when they got home at two AM that morning.

_~Four years ago~_

_It was another one of my many sleepless nights. I'd grown accustomed to the loud city noises of Boston to lull me asleep at college, but now that I was home, the silence was actually making it harder to fall asleep. Usually I called Bella when I couldn't sleep but she was out with Alice tonight. Since I couldn't call her, I decided to stretch out on the couch in the living room and watch TV. Just as another episode of _Law & Order_ was wrapping up, I heard heavy staggering footsteps and keys jingling on the porch._

_A minute or two passed with failed attempts to open the door. Before I could get up to see what was wrong, my little sister and my girlfriend stumbled through the door. Alice giggled, Bella snorted, and they shushed each other loudly. They were very drunk, that much was obvious. _

_Bella looked like she was going to fall over so I ran over and held her up. She giggled. "There's my Edward! My sexy, sexy boyfriend!" She threw her arms around my neck gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "You know, he has the most amazing fingers." She whispered conspiratorially to Alice. "They're like magic. Magical orgasm bringing fingers!" Her words were slurred. Not a good sign. I'd never seen Bella drunk enough to slur her words._

"_Why didn't you guys call me?" I whispered. "You guys shouldn't have driven like this." _

"_We know, Daaaaad," Alice giggled. "Angela was with us. She was our driver designated." Alice cackled, realizing her mix-up and almost tripped over her monstrous heels. "Oops. Designated driver." _

_God bless Angela Webber._

_I caught Alice around the waist before she could trip again and started helping the two of them towards the stairs. They giggled and tripped the whole way up to Alice's floor, while I struggled to keep hold of two wiggling teenage girls. _

_I deposited Bella on Alice's couch. "Stay here," I told her and she giggled again._

_I took Alice over to her bed and laid her down. I tugged off her shoes and tucked her under the covers. "Goodnight Ali," I looked up at her face and almost laughed. She was already asleep._

_I picked Bella up from the couch bridal style and climbed the stairs to my room. She was already mostly asleep when I placed her gently on my bed. I pulled off her sneakers before unbuttoning her jeans. As I pulled them down her legs I noticed something out of place on her hip. After I got her jeans all the way down her legs, I climbed back up her body to inspect it. _

_It was a tattoo._

_A tattoo._

_On Bella. My Bella. The Bella who is afraid of blood and needles. Bella got a tattoo._

_Holy Fuck._

_IMSC_

_Oh. My. God._

_Isabella Marie Swan… Cullen._

_She tattooed her initials on her body. As if we got married. _

_I stared at it for a few minutes before exploding in silent laughter. Bella is going to hate this in the morning. I snuggled up behind my silly, beautiful, drunk girl and finally found sleep._

_The next morning I woke to the sound of the toilet in my bathroom flushing. I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. When I saw Bella's slender form hunched over my toilet through the open bathroom door, I laughed quietly. _

"_You think this is funny?" Bella grumbled from the bathroom. _

_I got out of bed and went to her, clad only in a pair of boxers. I leaned against the door frame and smirked at her. "You did it to yourself, love." _

_She flipped me off. "Just give me drugs and shut up." _

_I laughed and crossed to the medicine cabinet over the sink. I gave her two Advil tablets and a glass of water. She downed them quickly before setting the glass on the counter again. I knelt beside her and pulled her to sit on my lap._

"_Did you see your hip yet?" I whispered in her ear._

_She looked at me like I was crazy before looking down at her hip. "No, is there someth–" She broke off and leaned up to throw up in the toilet again. When she was done, she flushed and moved to sit across from me. _

"_Fuck!" She looked at her hip again and looked up at me, the blush rising in her cheeks. "That's so embarrassing…" she mumbled before hiding her face in her hands. _

"_No, what's embarrassing is that you told my sister that I have magical orgasm bringing fingers." She groaned and didn't lift her head. "Why are you embarrassed, love?" I pulled her hands from her face._

_Her cheeks turned even redder. "That's not my name!" _

"_Yet."_

_She looked up at me like I was insane. "What?" _

"_It's not your name… yet. You may not share my name now but you will." I got to my feet and started out of the bathroom. "I will marry you someday, Isabella Marie!" I called behind me._

"I don't know," Bella sighed in anguish, bringing me back to the present issue. "I guess I didn't want to make a big deal out of nothing, which is what is was up until this afternoon, nothing."

I sighed. "I guess I can see where you're coming from. But you need to tell me if anything else happens, sweetheart." I stroked her cheek with my thumb. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

She nodded. "I promise I'll tell you."

I pulled her in for a long kiss. "Goodnight, Bella." I said as I pulled her into my arms.

"Goodnight, Edward." Bella yawned. "I love you."

"Love you, too, baby."

I was up late that night, worrying about Bella. I hoped that she was truly okay and wasn't lying to me to make me feel better. But of course, I had nothing to worry about. When I got home after class the next day, Bella was happy as ever. She was humming along to the radio in the kitchen getting dinner ready.

"Mmm…" I hugged Bella around the waist and pressed a kiss the side of her neck. "Smells good, love," I deposited my backpack on the kitchen table. "What's for dinner?"

"Mexican." Bella bent over and took a pan out of the oven. "I made tacos and chili."

"That sounds perfect." I helped Bella finish making dinner and we sat down to eat.

"How was your day?" I asked as I finished the last of my chili.

Bella smiled and the smile reached her eyes. "It was really good. I started my new class today. A girl from another one of my classes is in it and invited me to sit next to her. The professor is very nice and understanding and she's a woman, which is a plus." She laughed as she cleared the dishes. "And as it turns out, I like nineteenth century lit better than eighteenth lit."

I laughed. "Well that's good."

After all the dishes were piled in the sink, Bella walked over and threaded her fingers through the hair on the side of my head. "Let's go to bed, baby." She whispered.

Before she could move away from me, I swept Bella into my arms and ran up the stairs. She shrieked in surprise and laughed as I ran down the hall to our bedroom.

"Anxious, are we?" she asked breathlessly as I dropped her on the bed.

I smirked. "For you, love? Always."

Before I could climb on top of her, Bella rolled off the bed and stood with her hands on her hips. "Alright, sex monkey, just wait one minute, I'll be right back."

I groaned and flopped down on our bed.

"Do me a favor, baby," Bella called from the open bathroom door. "Get naked."

I hurried to comply and sat back against the pillows.

"Edward, I want to tell you something." Bella's voice echoed throughout the bathroom.

"What's that, love?" I called out, shifting impatiently.

Bella walked out of the bathroom and my mouth dropped open. Bella was wearing one of those black lacey things. It barely fell past her butt and had tiny, thin straps that didn't even look like it could hold up a scrap of fabric. I gulped loudly and was unable to take my eyes off of her.

Bella crossed the room and climbed up on the bed beside me. "What do you think?" she whispered as she straddled my hips.

"God, Bell… you look…" I struggled for the right words as she scratched my scalp gently with her nails. "You look so fucking sexy, baby." She blushed at the complement and ducked her head slightly. "What did you want to tell me?" I stuck a finger under her chin and lifted her eyes to mine.

"I'm ready, Edward." She whispered.

My brows knitted in confusion. "Ready for what?"

"I'm ready to start trying. I want a baby with you, Edward."

A grin slowly spread across my face. "Throw out those condoms, love."

Sometime in the very early morning, Bella and I fell into a deep sleep after several rounds of "baby making" what Bella jokingly called it. What felt like minutes later, Bella's phone started ringing loudly, waking us up abruptly.

"Who the fuck is calling me at three AM?" Bella growled as she turned on the lamp beside the bed. I groaned and squinted against the bright light. If there was one thing that Bella could not stand, is being woken up before eight AM.

She glanced at the caller ID with a confused expression before accepting the call.

"Mom?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Dun dun dun! Sorry for the cliffhanger. I hate them too. But it really was the best place to end, I promise!

So, why do you think Renee is calling at 3 AM?

I hope you all enjoy your Sunday. Any football fans out there? I know I'll be watching my beloved New England Patriots kick ass!

Hope you liked my sixth chapter! I still have to do a little work on chapter 7 but it still should be out sometime tomorrow. See you then! 


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)

So, let's find out why Renee was calling at three AM... (Also another flashback!)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

EPOV

"Mom?" Bella asked worriedly.

She listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone for a minute and her face contorted into one of pain. She gasped and threw her hand over her mouth. "Oh God. Yeah, we'll leave right away. No, you shouldn't be alone. We'll see you in a few." She hung up and turned to me with tears in her eyes.

"It's Dad," she whispered. "He was shot."

I pulled her into my arms and she sobbed on my shoulder. "Baby, I'm so sorry. Did your mom say how he is?" I stroked her hair. I really hoped Charlie was okay. I loved the Chief like he was my own father.

"He was shot in the chest and the leg. She didn't say anymore than that." Bella sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I told her we'd keep her company while he's in surgery."

"Of course," I answered right away. "I'll call a cab."

Thirty minutes later, Bella and I were making our way through Massachusetts General Hospital. We found Renee in the waiting room on the surgical floor.

"Mom!" Bella cried and pulled her into her arms. "What happened? Is he okay?"

We sat on either side of Renee and each held one of her hands. "Thanks for coming kids," she smiled weakly at us. This was the only time I've ever seen Renee subdued.

"Of course, Renee," I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and gave her a small squeeze.

"What happened, Mom?" Bella pleaded again.

"Charlie had the late shift this week," Renee started to tell us. "Early this morning he got called to some park across town. Neighbors were reporting that there was a large group of teenagers drinking behind the pool house. When he and few other officers got there, most of the kids ran away but a few of them were so drunk they thought it was a good idea to stay and fight. Before anyone knew what was happening, some kid pulled out a gun and shot Charlie. He was brought to the local hospital but then was airlifted here once the bleeding was under control." Renee had tears rolling down her cheeks by the end of the story.

Bella didn't look much better. "Has anyone told you how he's doing?" she asked.

Renee nodded. "A nurse came out and told me that he should be out of surgery soon."

Bella got out of her chair and came over to sit on my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder. I kissed her forehead and settled back to wait for Charlie to get out of surgery.

* * *

><p>BPOV<p>

I had only been sitting on Edward's lap for ten minutes, when my brother barged in to the otherwise silent waiting room.

"Mom? Bella? What the hell is going on?"

Mom went over and tried to calm him down so he wouldn't disrupt the entire hospital. I heard them talking quietly in the corner of the room.

I nuzzled my nose in the crook of Edward's neck, inhaling his scent that always set me at ease. "I hope he's okay." I said so only Edward could hear me.

"Me too, love," Edward whispered back, rubbing my back soothingly.

"I'm so selfish." I felt my tears start again.

Edward lifted my head so he could look me in the eye. "In what way are you selfish?" he brushed my tears away with tips of his fingers.

"I want my dad to get better so he can walk me down the aisle, I want him to get better because I want our children to know their grandfather, and most of all, I need him to get better so that if we did just get pregnant, the day we conceived our first child isn't the same day that my father died." I admitted in a low whisper.

Edward kissed my lips lightly. "That's nothing to be ashamed about. We can't control our selfish desires. No human is completely selfless."

I kissed him in thanks for saving me from myself, once again.

"Mrs. Swan?"

We all turned to the doctor in light blue scrubs that had just walked in the room. "That's me." Renee said, walking towards him, with Emmett hot on her heels.

"Chief Swan is doing well. We finished with surgery about an hour ago and he should be waking up any minute. Only family can see him now and only two at a time. I'll take you to him now."

All four of us followed the doctor down two short hallways and through a set of double doors. Down another short hallway, we stopped outside room 3021.

We decided that Emmett and Mom would go in first while Edward and I wait outside. Edward held me protectively against his chest, his hand coming to rest low on my stomach. We didn't say a word to each other for the whole ten minutes that Mom and Emmett were visiting Dad.

The door opened and a solemn looking Emmett came out. "How is he?" I asked quietly.

"He hasn't woken up yet." Emmett said quietly.

I was suddenly afraid of what was on the other side of that door. I didn't know if I was strong enough to see my dad in such a vulnerable way.

"Edward," I said quietly. "Take me home, please. I don't know if I can do this." Edward nodded and squeezed my waist. "Tell Mom I'm sorry and that we'll be back tomorrow." I said to my brother. Emmett nodded his understanding and disappeared back in Dad's room.

Edward and I didn't talk on the cab ride home and once we got through the front door, I went straight up to our bedroom, leaving Edward to lock up by himself. I crawled into bed and let my tears fall. I barely registered Edward climbing in next to me and holding me as I cried myself to sleep.

When we arrived at the hospital the next morning, a nurse at the nurses' station gave us an update on his condition. "He's awake and eager to leave." The nurse laughed. "He's been asking for his daughter and almost son-in-law."

"That's us," I smiled at her. "Thank you, so much."

We walked into Dad's room and immediately broke into laughter. "Um, Dad?" I laughed. "What are you doing?"

Dad was holding two crutches in his hands and was knocking things off of the nightstand. "I'm trying to reach the remote." Dad grumbled.

I laughed and ran to him. I threw my arms around him and squeezed him tightly. "Dad, I'm so glad you're okay." I whispered to him.

He smoothed the back of my hair. "It's okay, Bells, I'm alright."

I pulled away from him and sat on the edge of his bed and Edward came over to stand next to me. "Hey, Charlie, I'm glad you're alright."

Charlie shook Edward's hand and smiled at the two of us. "Thanks for coming in, kids."

"Of course, Dad," I took his hand in mine.

"But, I do have some bad news for you, Bells." Charlie sighed. "The doctors said I won't be healed in time to walk you down the aisle."

"That's okay, Dad." I patted his hand. "As long as you're okay. I'll just find someone else to walk me down the aisle."

"I'll do it."

I turned around to see a grinning Emmett walk through the door. "Em?"

"I'd be honored to give my little sister away to marry my best friend." Emmett clapped Edward on the shoulder.

"Then it settled," Dad said. "Emmett will give Bella away."

* * *

><p><em>~ 1 and a half years ago ~<em>

_BPOV_

_I loved Christmas at the Cullen house. It was always so fun and festive and… nice. This year had been particularly wonderful for so many reasons. _

_At around quarter to ten, after all of the Christmas day festivities, all ten of us gathered in the living room for some eggnog and warmth by the fire. At exactly ten o'clock, Edward moved from beside me on the couch and with a kiss to my cheek and a promise to be back in a few minutes, he headed up the stairs. _

_I didn't have long to wonder about what he was up to because Emmett challenged me to a Christmas carol sing-off. Me and Alice against Emmett and Jasper. We won, of course. Emmett and Jasper can't sing for their life. Maybe they're tone deaf. Hmm._

_Edward returned just in time to see the end of our sing-off. He declared Alice and I winners by far and took my hand in his. "Ready to go to bed, sweetheart?" he whispered in my ear._

_I about to tell him no and that it was only ten-thirty when I looked in his eyes. He was fidgety and flushed and his hair was even crazier than it normally was, as if he'd been pulling on it. I recognized this look, even though I'd only seen it a few times in all the years I've known him. Edward was nervous. So I nodded my head yes and we bid everyone goodnight. Just before we disappeared up the stairs, Edward exchanged a look with his father that I couldn't quite decipher. _

_Instead of stopping on the second floor and the room I was sharing with Alice, Edward led me up to his bedroom on the third floor. _

"_Edward," I hissed. "What about your parents?"_

_Edward opened his door and shuffled me inside. "I think they'll make an exception for tonight." he murmured. _

_But I couldn't answer him or even argue with him. The spectacular sight before me had taken my breath away. I walked a few paces into the room until I was standing in the middle, taking it all in. Now I knew where and why Edward had disappeared. _

_Every available surface in the room was covered in candles. Big, fat pillar candles all the way down to small tea light candles covered the room and provided a dim glow to the room. A lump formed in my throat at the thoughtfulness of his surprise. My Edward was a romantic, no doubt about that. _

"_Edward, what is –" I turned around to ask him what was the special occasion when I looked down and gasped, my hand flying up to cover my mouth in surprise. _

_And there down on one knee before me was Edward. He looked up at me with a mix of nerves and excitement written all over his face. He took my free hand in his and kissed my knuckles before speaking._

"_My love, my Bella, I think I fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you when I was six years old."_

_Oh god, I was already bawling my eyes out._

"_I don't know what I'd do without you, sweetheart." Edward's voice was thick with emotion. I knelt down in front of him so we were eye to eye and let my other hand drift up to cover his hand that held my other. "I don't know what I would do without these hands," Edward squeezed my hands. "These arms," His hands made their way up my arms. "These shoulders, this face," Edward was choked up by the time his hands cupped my cheeks. "These lips," he rubbed his thumb across my slightly fuller upper lip. "These beautiful, big eyes," he pressed a kiss to each of my eyelids. "Your laugh, your smile," I smiled at him through my tears and my bottom lip trembled as a sob threatened to break free._

"_You made me the man I am today, Isabella. I know we're young but I can't stand the thought of us not spending our lives together. So why not start now? I can't wait to marry you, start a family with you, and grow old with you." I wiped away the tears that managed to leak out from the corner of his eyes. _

"_So, with that," He withdrew one of his hands and reached into his pocket. _

_He pulled a red velvet ring box from his pocket. He pinched the lid and opened it slowly. I gasped when I saw the beautiful ring inside. It was a simple platinum band with a single diamond in the center. The diamond was about one carat by my estimate, modest but not too small. It was very simple. My Edward knew me well._

"_Isabella, my love, will you marry me?"_

"_Yes." I whispered after no hesitation. I didn't even need to think about it. "Of course I'll marry you!" I cried as I threw my arms around his neck. _

_Edward laughed as we toppled backwards, landing with "oomph" on his back. I smiled and pressed my lips to his. "I love you." I whispered._

"_I love you, too." He sat us up and I shifted so my legs were on either side of his hips. "Do want the ring, love?" Edward chuckled. _

"_Oh! Yeah." I blushed. I'd completely forgotten. _

_Edward plucked the ring out of its satin cushion and took my left hand in his. He slid it into place on my third finger. It fit perfectly. _

"_It's beautiful." I breathed as I admired the ring. _

"_It was Grandma Cullen's." Edward murmured. "She wanted me to have it when she died. She told me I'd know when I'd found the right girl to give it to."_

_We stared dreamily into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours before a thought popped into my head. "Did you tell everyone you were doing this tonight?" It occurred to me that if Alice had known she'd be ready to break down the door by now. _

_Edward shook his head. "Only my Dad when I asked him for the ring yesterday. I asked Charlie for his permission about a month ago but I didn't know when I was going to ask yet." _

"_Should we tell them now or in the morning?" I asked as I gazed at my ring. _

_Edward looked thoughtful. "Let's wait until morning. I'd rather have…" he glanced at his watch. "Ten uninterrupted hours with my beautiful fiancée."_

"_That sounds nice." I whispered as I gently rubbed noses with him. _

_I yelped was Edward stood with me in his arms in one abrupt move. "Well we'd better get started as soon as possible, love." _

_I giggled at the man I love as he sped towards the bed._

_Bright morning light streamed in through the slits in the curtains as I felt feather light kisses on my spine. I stretched and hummed happily. "Good morning, baby." I said happily, my voice thick with sleep. _

_I rolled onto my back and opened my eyes. I smiled when I saw bright, happy green eyes above me. "And a good morning it is, sweetheart." Edward smirked and nuzzled my nose. "I can't believe you're marrying me." He said, his voice filled with awe._

"_You better start believing." I chuckled. "Because it's happening." _

_We lounged in bed for another hour or so before we reluctantly got out of bed and got ready for the day. After a long, relaxing shared shower, Edward and I made our way downstairs, smiling all the way._

_We found everyone in the living room. Alice and Jasper were cuddled together on the floor, each with a cup of coffee and one doughnut to share between them. Emmett was laughing with Esme about some gift she'd received yesterday. Carlisle and Rose were pouring over a car magazine, pointing out things here and there._

_Even Charlie and Renee were sipping coffee on the plush loveseat._

"_Well, nice of you to finally join us, sleepyheads." Esme joked from across the room. _

_Edward wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into his side. "Sorry, we had an eventful night." _

_I giggled and kissed his cheek. I surreptitiously hid my left hand behind Edward's back. I didn't want anyone to guess before we could announce it ourselves. _

"_Ew," Emmett groaned. "We don't need to hear that."_

_I shot him a look. "Emmett, only _you_ are juvenile enough to share details of your sex life with people who don't want to hear it." _

_I laughed as Rose shot daggers at Emmett. _

"_Well, actually we do have some news." I looked up at Edward. "Would you like to tell them or should I?"_

"_Hmm…" Edward pretended to think._

"_Just tell us!" Alice cried. She was the most impatient person on the planet. I commend Jasper for dealing with her. _

_Edward and I laughed. "Go ahead, love." Edward murmured._

"_Well, last night," I looked out at my family before turning my eyes back to Edwards. "Last night Edward asked me to marry him and I said yes." Edward took my left hand in his and pressed a kiss to the knuckle above my ring without breaking eye contact. _

_Four distinctive, high-pitched shrieks rang out and we're soon enveloped but four bouncing, over excited women. _

"_Oh my god! Oh my god!" Alice yelled over and over as she jumped in a circle and clapped her hands together. Renee had tears in her eyes as she went on about her "baby" getting married. Rose beamed at the two of us as she congratulated us. Esme pulled me into a tight hug and whispered "Welcome to the family, dear" in my ear. _

_The boys had an easier time controlling their emotions than the girls did. Emmett and Jasper congratulated us and swung me up in a group hug between the two of them. Carlisle hugged me and said something along the same line as Esme did. I saved my Dad for last. He wrapped me in a tight hug and whispered "If he hurts you, Bella, all you have to do is tell me and I'll kick his ass" to me. _

_I laughed and released him. "I don't think that will be necessary but thanks, Dad."_

* * *

><p><em><em>**A/N:  
><strong>

So based on the flashback, what do you think is coming up in chapter 8 (which will be out tomorrow)?

Hope you liked chapter 7. See you tomorrow!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:  
><strong>Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)

Here it comes! The big wedding day!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

BPOV

Today is the day. The day I been dreaming about for eight years. Today is my wedding day.

I opened my eyes and looked up at the non-descript white ceiling of my childhood bedroom. I could see a few old tape marks from when Alice and I thought we could hang posters on our bedroom ceilings – they'd fallen on us while we were sleeping – and the hook that held my mesh canopy from when I was eight. I'd almost forgotten what day it was when I started counting the glow-in-the-dark stars scattered about my ceiling when it hit me at around number thirty-seven.

"Holy shit," I whispered to the empty room. "I'm getting married today."

Before I could decide if the butterfly army in my stomach was because of nerves or excitement, someone knocked on my door.

"Knock, knock!" Renee said brightly as she opened my door and poked her head in the room. "Can I come in?"

"Of course, Mom," I answered, repositioning myself so I sat up a little further against the pillows. Renee sat on the edge of my bed and looked at me. "What's up?" I asked when she didn't speak.

"I just wanted to come in and see how you were doing." She took my hand and squeezed it. "And give you some advice my mother gave me on my wedding day."

I smirked. This oughta be good.

"Marriage can be hard. You won't like each other all the time. You'll fight and disagree. And you'll certainly have at least one moment of doubt, asking yourself if he's the right person for you. But all you have to do is remember this day, how happy you are and how much you love Edward and you'll get through it all together." She sighed heavily after her speech.

I was floored. Where the hell did my joking and inappropriate mother go?

"Oh," She added. "And make sure you take off your panty hose before you leave for the honeymoon. It makes the undressing process a lot easier, especially if you're in a hurry." She winked.

… And she's back.

I groaned and lay back down. "Uh, thanks, Mom."

"No problem, sweetie." She said like she just hadn't given her daughter advice on how her new husband could get her into bed faster. She got off the bed and turned to leave. "You'd better get dressed Alice will be here any –"

"I'm here!" Alice announced, throwing her hands in the air in a "Ta-da" pose. She looked over to me and her arms fell back to her sides. "Bella! Why aren't you dressed yet? You're supposed to be in my bathroom in ten minutes!" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "We're on a tight schedule here!" she said when I didn't move from my bed. Renee left the room laughing.

"Can we just lay here for a bit?" I asked Alice, never taking my eyes off of the ceiling.

She sighed and lay down next to me. "Just for a few minutes." She looked up at the ceiling too.

"Do you remember that day when we were seven or eight, when we laid on my bed for hours just talking?" I asked her in a quiet voice.

"Yeah," Alice answered quietly. "That was the first day we thought about how we could become sisters."

"And now it's coming true." I sighed.

"And now it's coming true." She repeated.

I laughed quietly. "Wasn't our plan for you to marry Emmett and for me to marry Edward?"

"I think so!" She laughed. "Too bad Em is too brazen for me."

We laughed together. "Come on," I ruffled her hair. "Let's go start getting ready, sister of mine."

Alice squealed and leapt of the bed, pulling me with her. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before she pulled me downstairs.

"Wait!" I hollered as she pulled me out the door. She stopped and glared at me.

"What now, Bella?"

"I forgot something, just give me a minute." I raced back upstairs and into my bedroom. I snatched my tote bag off of my desk chair and started to leave. Before I could leave, the white plastic CVS bag on my desk caught my eye. I'd gone out last night to the CVS pharmacy down the street for a last minute purchase. I took the rectangular purple box out of the bag and slipped it in my tote bag to deal with later.

I bounded back down the stairs and followed Alice out the door. When we reached the door of the Cullen house, she opened the door and pulled me towards the stairs. Before we could climb a single step, we heard voices coming down the stairs.

"Come on, Eddie, it won't take that long."

"No, Emmett, I'm not going anywhere with you today. And don't call me Eddie."

Alice and I looked at each other and giggled. Emmett and Edward have been having this argument for weeks. As his best man, Emmett really wanted Edward to have a bachelor party. Edward vehemently denied him every time.

Before Alice could even think about hiding me, Emmett and Edward appeared on the landing. Their conversation ceased when they saw us. There was a beat of silence before Edward ran down the stairs and lifted me in his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck and laughed as he spun us around. He pulled his face to mine and kissed me.

Someone – probably Emmett – coughed purposefully, causing Edward to break the kiss.

"Hi," Edward grinned.

I rested my forehead against his and smirked. "Hi, yourself,"

"Ahem!" Alice cleared her throat loudly.

I turned my eyes to her. "What?" I asked, annoyed at her interruption.

"You two weren't supposed to see each other yet!" she pouted, her hands firmly planted on her hips.

"Chill out, Ali," I rolled my eyes as I loosened my legs from around Edward's waist and slid down to the floor. "It's not like he saw me in my dress."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, say goodbye and let's go." She crossed her arms and tapped.

I turned back to Edward and pulled his face down to mine for a slightly inappropriate kiss to have in front of my brother. I heard Emmett grumbling something about "public displays of affection".

"I'll see you later!" Edward called as Alice pulled me up the stairs.

"I'll be the one in the white dress!" I called back as Alice slammed the door to her bathroom.

An hour later, I was just getting out of the shower when someone knocked on the door. Alice thought a last minute shower would be a good idea because she needed my hair wet to put it up in whatever style she was doing. I quickly agreed, I thought a last minute shave would be a better idea.

"Come in!" Alice shouted as I wrapped myself in a towel and slipped behind Alice's privacy screen.

"Hey, guys," Rose said as she shut the door behind her. "I come bearing gifts!"

I couldn't see what she had, but I assumed it was something good from the way Alice squealed. I slipped on my fancy "wedding underwear" that Alice insisted upon and threw on my robe. I twisted my long hair into a clip and went over to see what Rose brought.

"Champagne?" I ran over and took the glass she held out to me. "You're my fucking savior!" she laughed as I kissed her cheek and put the glass to my lips. Before I could drink a sip, I stopped myself and put the glass back down. Rose and Alice looked at me like I was crazy and I shrugged. "You know, a drunken bride is so cliché."

They laughed and agreed, but still looked at me suspiciously.

I put my hand on my hips. "Okay, ladies, hair or makeup first?"

"Both!" they giggled as Rose held up a blow drier and Alice held up her makeup bag.

I sighed. "Alright, where do you want me?"

Two hours later, I slipped into my beautiful, strapless floor length dress and had Alice help me do up the twenty pearl buttons on the back. Then Rose, who is much taller than I am, helped me secure my veil under the big curls she'd done in my hair earlier. We'd decided to leave my hair down instead of up in a bun like we decided last week.

One wall of Alice's bathroom is all mirrors. When we were little Alice, the graceful one of the two of us, took dance lessons. The two of us would stand in front of the mirrors and she'd try to teach me the steps she'd learned that week. But now, we stood in front of the mirror wall, me in my wedding dress and her in her Maid of Honor dress, looking at our reflections.

"Do you think that it will be as hard as everyone says it's going to be? Marriage, I mean." I whispered.

She took my hand in hers. "For you and Edward? Nah," She shook her head. "Sure you'll fight, but you two can't be mad at each other for more than an hour."

"Thanks, Ali." I leaned my head on her shoulder.

Someone knocked on the door and Rose, who pretended not to hear my conversation with Alice, answered it. "Oh, hey," I heard Rose say. "What's up?"

I turned to see Jasper standing in the doorway. "Esme wanted me to check and see if everyone was ready to go up here." He grinned in my direction. "And of course, Edward wanted me to find out if he's going to pass out when he sees Bella." he winked at me which caused Alice and I to giggle.

Rose smiled and ruffled Jasper's mop of blond hair. "Go tell Esme that we're all ready."

"Okie dokie," Jasper turned to leave the room. "And I'll be ready to catch Edward when he faints!" He called as Rose shut the door behind him.

After ten more minutes, and one more round of champagne for Rose and Alice, there was one final knock on the door. Instead of waiting for someone to open it, Emmett burst through the door.

"Whoa," Emmett shielded his eyes. "Ladies you look so good it hurts!" He crossed the room to stand in front of the three of us and looked us up and down separately. "Rosie, baby, always stunning. Alice, you look beautiful as usual. And Bells," He took my hand in his and spun me in a circle. "The most gorgeous bride I've ever seen."

The three of us kissed his cheeks in thanks before he spoke again. "Esme wanted me to tell you all that we should head downstairs now."

Rose and Alice gathered their things and led the way down the stairs. Emmett looped my arm in his and helped me down the stairs so I wouldn't fall in the ridiculously high heels Alice put me in. And before I knew it, the music had started and Rose and Alice were headed out the back door and down the make shift aisle.

"Ready, Baby B?" Emmett asked, giving my arm a squeeze.

I grinned at him and, finally, felt the butterflies fly out of my stomach. "Definitely."

The music changed and the two of us stepped out into the warm April air. The Cullen's backyard had been transformed into a wonderland. There were flowers as far as the eye could see. I saw the big white tent on the other side of the yard where the reception would take place before my focus went to the scene in front of me.

We never wanted a big wedding and thankfully, Alice adhered to our request. There were no more than forty people sitting the wooden chairs on the lawn. I saw the faces of my parents, Carlisle and Esme, friends from school, and some I didn't know smiling at me. I saw the Justice of the Peace standing at the head of the alter. We decided to go to have the Justice of the Peace officiate the ceremony since neither of us is even remotely religious.

And then I saw my Edward.

Edward looked stunning in his simple black suit. Instead of going for the classic tuxedo, I decided the guys would look better – and be more comfortable – in simple black suits, much to Alice's chagrin. His hair was in his usual disarray, curling and sticking up in all directions. His smile was brilliant and I saw the happiness in his eyes when my eyes met his.

"Beautiful," he mouthed to me.

I blushed under his smoldering gaze. Emmett and I finally reached the end of the aisle and we stopped in front of Edward.

"Who gives this woman to be wed?" the Justice asked.

"I do." Emmett said in his booming voice and winked at me. "Well, our parents Charlie and Renee, too." He took my right hand and placed it in Edward's left hand. I felt that usual warmth and tingly sensation when our skin touched. I turned to Alice behind me and handed her my bouquet of lilies. My eyes never left Edward's bright green ones as I turned to face him and the Justice cleared his throat.

"Friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Edward Anthony Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan in marriage. In the six years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife."

Edward squeezed my hand and winked.

"Edward," the Justice turned to him. "Do you take Isabella to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever hardships you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"

Edward smirked. "I do."

"Isabella," the Justice turned to me. "Do you take Edward to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever hardships you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." I said, my voice breaking slightly.

The Justice looked between Alice behind me and Emmett behind Edward. "Can we have the rings?"

I turned to Alice who handed me Edward's wedding band with a wink. I smiled at her and turned back to Edward.

"Edward, place the ring on Isabella's finger and repeat after me. I, Edward, give you, Isabella, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."

I held out my left hand and Edward slid the silver wedding band on the same finger as my diamond engagement ring. "I, Edward, give you, Isabella, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."

"Isabella, place the ring on Edward's finger and repeat after me. I, Isabella, give you, Edward, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."

I took Edward's left hand and slid the silver band on his third finger. And repeated the Justice's words in the strongest voice I could manage. "I, Isabella, give you, Edward, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."

The justice smiled at us and placed a hand on each of our shoulders. "By the power vested in my by the State of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." He lifted his hands off our shoulders and smiled.

Edward didn't need to be told twice. His hands slid down to my hips and pulled me towards him. I threw my arms around his neck as my new husband kissed me. My husband. I could hardly believe it.

Edward broke the kiss before either of us could get carried away. "Ladies and Gentlemen," The Justice said with a big smile. "I present to you, Edward and Bella Cullen."

Everyone applauded and cheered as Edward looped my arm in his and we started back down the aisle. I'd bargained with Alice a few days before to give Edward and me a few minutes alone before we had to take pictures and greet guests. In turn, I had to throw the bouquet in her direction. It seems like a fair trade to me.

Once we reached the end of the aisle, Edward and I stepped back inside and shut the door behind us. Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned in to kiss me again. My arms wound around his neck and held him against me.

He broke away and rested his forehead against mine. "Hi," His smile was blinding.

"Hi," I whispered back.

"What are the chances that we could sneak up stairs without her finding us?" He asked, his hands running up and down my back.

"I would say, slim to none." I giggled. "She's on high alert today."

Edward pouted. "Please?" he smirked and leaned in so our lips were barely touching. "Mrs. Cullen." He started kissing my jaw and neck.

I blew out a shaky breath. "Fine, but we have to make it quick." I whispered breathlessly.

"No problem." Edward smirked.

Just as we started to sneak away, the door opened and Alice came inside. "Just where do you two think you're going?" she crossed her arms across her chest and smirked.

"Uh, nowhere?" Edward said, as he stood behind me like I was a shield. I laughed and kissed his cheek.

"That's what I thought…" Alice said with a knowing smile. "I need you two to come outside so we can take pictures."

After an hour of pictures and greeting guests, we finally could join our family and friends across the lawn under the big white tent. As soon as we got there, Alice pushed the two of us out on the dance floor, whispering the whole time "Shut up, Bella. You two are dancing at your wedding if it's the last thing I do!"

I hate dancing. But I'll admit dancing with Edward at our wedding wasn't so bad. I didn't even step on his feet, which was most surprising to me.

It was after dinner when everyone was dancing when I remembered the purple box in my bag in Alice's bathroom. I shrugged to myself. It was now or never and went to find Alice and Rose.

I found them giggling in the corner, a glass of champagne in their hands and a bottle between them. I walked up to them.

"Hey, guys," I shifted nervously and felt my blush rise in my cheeks. "Could you guys help me with something? I could use the moral support." I asked quietly.

"Sure, Bells." Alice shrugged.

"Lead the way." Rose said, grabbing the bottle of champagne.

I led the way back into the house and up the stairs to Alice's bathroom. Once I was inside, I went straight to my tote bag and dug around for the purple box. I heard the click when the door shut behind me and I turned to face them holding the purple box in front of me.

"Is that what I think it is?" Rose asked, pointing to the box in my hands.

I nodded and Alice ran over to see what it was. "A pregnancy test!" she squealed.

Rose took the box from me and ripped it open. She handed me the white plastic stick as she read the directions on the side of the box. "Go pee." She instructed.

Five minutes later, the three of us stood holding hands, waiting for the results.

"That's time." Rose whispered, glancing at the clock on the wall.

I let go of their hands and turned away, covering my eyes with my hands. "Someone look for me. I can't do it."

I heard a rustle behind me before Rose spoke again. "It's negative."

A wave of sadness crashed over me and I felt tears prick my eyes. I spun around and looked at the two of them. I blew out a long breath and tried to collect myself. "Oh, well…" I blew out another breath. "That's okay, I guess. We'll just try again." I felt a tear fall down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away. "Sorry, I guess I just got my hopes up." Alice silently passed me a tissue. "Are you sure it's negative?" I asked Rose as I wiped my cheeks.

A slow smile spread across her face. "No, it's positive."

"What?" I asked breathlessly. Alice gasped on the other side of me.

"I was lying before." Rose grinned and passed me the test. Sure enough the little display said "pregnant". I felt the happy tears fill my eyes and spill over.

Relief and happiness flooded through me as I slapped her arm. "That was a bitchy thing to do!" I laughed tearily and pulled her in for a hug.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Alice asked, throwing her arms around the two of us. "I'm going to be an auntie!"

We dried off our tears and reapplied our make up before we headed back outside. "When are you going to tell Edward?" Alice asked excitedly.

"Right now." I smiled, as I started over to where he was talking with Jasper. I felt Alice and Rose's eyes on me as I reached the two of them.

Jasper saw me first. "Bells!" Edward spun around and beamed when he saw me.

"Hey, Jas," I smiled at the two of them and put my hand on Edward's back. "Do you mind if I borrow Edward for a minute?"

"No problem," Jasper smiled. "I think I'll go see where Alice ran off to." He turned and walked towards where Alice and Rose were standing with their heads together.

Edward wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into his side. "Whats up, love?" His brows furrowed in concern.

"I have something to tell you." I placed a hand on his chest and led him away from the tent a bit.

He stopped us and faced me. "What's wrong?" He asked frantically, taking both my hands in his.

"Nothing's wrong!" I assured him with a wide smile. "I'm pregnant, Edward." I squeezed his hands.

His face was frozen in shock for a good minute before he spoke. "Really?" he whispered.

I nodded as tears filled my eyes for what felt like the millionth time today. One second I was looking into Edward's eyes and the next I was lifted into the air and spun around. "Baby, that's fantastic!" Edward yelled happily.

He put me back on the ground and I finally saw his brilliant smile. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. His lips crashed on to mine and one of his hands tangled into my hair. I threw my arms around his neck and put all of my love and happiness into the kiss.

When we broke our kiss, we found four grinning people standing next to us. Jasper and Emmett were smiling so wide that their faces must be frozen that way. "What?" I asked, giving them a funny look. I looked at Rose and Alice, hoping they would tell me what the hell was wrong with their boyfriends. Alice was smiling knowingly while Rose couldn't hide the guilt on her face. "You told them, didn't you?" I sighed.

Alice just continued to smile and Rose nodded sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Bella, it just slipped out!" Rose blushed.

Edward pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. He rested his chin on my shoulder and kissed the side of my neck. I giggled and threaded my fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp lightly with my fingernails. "It's okay, Rose. We were going to tell them eventually." I said.

"Yeah, just don't tell anyone else. I don't know about Bella, but I'd like to tell our parents ourselves." Edward chimed in.

"We won't." Jasper assured us. "Congratulations you two."

"I'm gonna be an uncle!" Emmett yelled a bit too loudly. He just grinned when the five of us shushed him.

We all went back to the party after that. Alice and Rose pulled me onto the dance floor and we all danced for hours. I must have danced with everyone. At around four o'clock I was starting to get sleepy and was willing the song to be over faster. I was dancing with this guy, Mike. He was in my year at BU. I hadn't expected him to be here but he came as Jessica's plus one. He was a real creep, hitting on me on my wedding day.

Edward, always my savior, must have seen this discomfort on my face and came to rescue me. He walked up behind Mike and tapped him on the shoulder. "Can I cut in?" he asked.

Mike nodded. "Of course, man. I'll see you around, Bella." He – _finally – _let me go and walked away.

Edward pulled me to him and chuckled. "Thank you for saving me!" I whispered.

"No problem, love." Edward chuckled again before turning serious. "I'll always be there to save you."

I gave him a small peck and brushed the hair off his forehead. "I know." I whispered.

Edward kissed me again. "Listen," he glanced around us to see if anyone was listening in. "We were interrupted earlier before we got a chance to talk." He smiled, so I knew it wasn't anything serious. "I just wanted you to know, that I'm really happy, Bella." he leaned down the whisper in my ear. "I'm so excited about the baby, love."

I kissed his cheek. "Me too," I laughed. "I guess we have to schedule a doctor's appointment for when we get back."

"I guess so." Edward laughed.

"Speaking of which," I traced my finger along his jaw and looked into his eyes. "Are you going to tell you where we're going?" I said in what I hoped was a seductive voice. Edward had been keeping the destination of our honeymoon a secret. No matter how hard I tried to get it out of him, he wouldn't tell me.

Edward's eyes smoldered as he looked down at me. "Nope." He kissed me fiercely and trailed his hands down my back and around to my hips. "Although," he said breathlessly. "I think it's about time we get out of here. We have a flight to catch." He looked to someone over my shoulder and motioned for them to come over. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "This will only take a minute, love, and then we'll be on our way."

"Wha–"

Suddenly, Alice appeared next to us, huge grin plastered in place. "Hey, guys! Ready to go?" We both nodded eagerly and she giggled. "Alright, Bells, come with me."

"What? No!" I exclaimed, holding on to Edward tighter when she tried to pull me away. I'd already been away from Edward enough today, I didn't want to leave his side for another minute.

Alice huffed and put her hands on her hips. "Well you don't want to wear that on the plane, do you?" she raised her eyebrows, daring me to defy her.

"No," I sighed and reluctantly let go of Edward's arm. Before Alice could pull me away, Edward caught me around the waist and pressed one hell of a kiss on my lips.

Alice dragged me up the stairs and into her bathroom, Rose hot on our heels. They helped me undo the pearl buttons in back before shoving a light blue dress in my face. "Here, this will be much more comfortable." Alice said.

I ducked behind the privacy screen and changed into the new dress. I helped Rose hang my wedding dress on the hanger where we put my veil before the reception and Alice reapplied my makeup. When I opened the door to the hallway, I found Edward there waiting for me.

When I saw the big smile on his face, I ran and leapt into his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist. He caught me effortlessly and chuckled. "Miss me, love?"

I nodded enthusiastically. I heard Alice and Rose laugh behind me as I pulled his face to mine.

We said goodbye to our families a few minutes later with a promise to call them – by them, I mean Esme and Renee – when we get back from our trip.

Edward and I were quiet on the half-hour drive to Logan International Airport, only speaking occasionally. Edward pulled his Volvo into the long-term parking lot at terminal E – the international terminal.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Yay! They're having a baby! and they're married!

Where do you think they're going on their honeymoon?

Hope you like chapter 8! Chapter 9 should be out sometime tomorrow.  
><strong><br>**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:  
><strong>Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)

I had major brain blanks when I tried to write the honeymoon, so I just skipped it. I hope that doesn't make anyone angry at me! I may write it as an outtake if there's enough interest/ the block in my brain is lifted. I'm also going back for the second time to the city where they went for their honeymoon in a couple months so that may help the block disappear. Sorry if I upset anyone!

Here's a doctor's appointment and a little more Crazy Renee!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

BPOV

"Are you sure this person is any good?"

I sighed. "Yes, Edward, for the fourth time, I've been going to her for years."

Edward and I got back from our honeymoon in Paris last week and Edward wanted to get an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible. It was really adorable how excited and anxious he is. But after he asks me the same question multiple times, it gets annoying.

Thankfully, my morning sickness had waited until after our honeymoon to start. I spent the morning after we got back, not in bed with my new husband, but with my head in the toilet. And Edward, being a good husband, stayed with me and held my hand the whole time.

I looked across the car to him and felt my annoyance melt away. He looked so nervous. He was staring straight ahead, jaw clamped shut and hand clenched so tightly on the steering wheel, his knuckles were white.

I ran my hand up and down his arm soothingly. "Don't worry, baby." I said quietly. "Everything is just fine."

"I know, sweetheart." He ran his hand through his hair roughly. "I just can't help worry."

"Dr. Denali is fantastic. You have nothing to worry about."

Edward spoke again after a minute of silence. "Oh, we can't forget to call our parents when we get home or they'll be banging down the door to see how it went."

I chuckled remembering when we told our parents that we're having a baby.

"_Bella!" My mom yelled and ran out of the house even before I was out of the car. _

_Today was our first day back from our honeymoon in Paris. It was a little surreal to be back in the reality of home and not the fantasy life we were living in France. This morning was also my first experience with morning sickness so we were running a little later than planned. _

_When we called our parents last week from Paris, we told them we needed to meet with all four of them at the same time when we got back to the States. So here we are, at Renee and Charlie's house, about to tell our parents that we're having a baby._

_Renee reached me as shut the passenger door behind me. She pulled me in for a tight hug. "Are you okay, sweetie? You look a little green around the gills." She remarked when she released me. _

"_Uh, yeah Mom," I said a little dazedly. "I'm fine. I just wasn't feeling great this morning."_

_She eyed me suspiciously but didn't say anything. "Okay, Bella, whatever you say." _

_Twenty minutes later, as we were all seated around the dining room table, Edward took my hand and cleared his throat loudly. "Um, we actually do have some news for you all." He nodded for me to continue._

_I took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant." I couldn't help the huge grin that spread across my face as I looked to Edward. _

_There was a beat of silence before there was loud screeching. I was suddenly enveloped by two over excited women. They started asking me all these questions, most of which I couldn't answer yet. _

"_When are you due?" Renee asked excitedly. "Oh, my baby is having a baby! This is so exciting!" _

"_I don't know." I let out a nervous chuckle. I was little overwhelmed with their questions. "We haven't had an appointment with the doctor yet." _

"_Oh, Bella," Renee scoffed. "I'm sure you can do the math."_

_I don't know about that. Math was never my strong suit. "Uh…" It took me a minute before I could answer. "Mid December?" _

_Renee and Esme squealed. When they started asking me about the nursery, I knew it was going to be a long eight months._

Fifteen minutes later, Edward and I walked down a hallway and stood outside a white door that read Denali, Kate, MD, OB/GYN and Denali, Tanya, MD, Pediatrics. Once inside, I pulled Edward towards the reception desk.

The receptionist smiled at us. "Good morning, are you here to see Dr. Kate or Dr. Tanya?" She asked us in a high-pitched, bubbly voice.

"Kate," I answered.

The receptionist – whose name tag said Irina – typed something into the computer and ran her finger along the screen. "Ah, yes, Mrs. Cullen, correct?"

"Yeah," I smiled at Edward when he squeezed my hand.

Irina eyed us speculatively. "Newlyweds?" We nodded and she giggled. "Congratulations!" she looked back to her computer and squinted at the screen. "Now, Mrs. Cullen, I see here that you just had your annual check-up a few months ago." I nodded and she continued. "What is the nature of your visit? Dr. Denali likes to know before she sees any patient."

"I'm pregnant." I smiled happily.

"Congratulations, again!" Irina giggled again. "If you two will wait over there, Dr. Denali will be with you any minute."

Edward led us over to the sleek black couch on the far wall. Not five minutes later, Kate appeared in the doorway of the waiting room.

"Bella!" She greeted me happily. "It's good to see you."

Edward and I stood and walked to her. "It's good to see you again, Kate. How's your husband? Garrett, right?" I smiled and linked my hand with Edward's.

"He's great!" I smiled and turned her ice blue eyes to Edward. "And you must be Edward. Bella's told me so much about you." They shook hands. "Alright, why don't we get started? Follow me."

She led us to an exam room and shut the door behind us. Kate sat down at the desk and motioned for us to sit in the two chairs next to the desk. "So I understand you're pregnant." Kate said with a smile.

I nodded. "We started trying a few weeks before the wedding and I took the test a couple of weeks ago and it was positive." I couldn't wipe the silly grin off of my face as I looked at Edward.

Kate asked us a few more questions before she rose from her chair. "Okay, I've heard all I need to hear. Why don't we do an ultrasound now so we can determine how far along you are and give you a precise due date."

"We'll be able to see our baby today?" Edward asked hopefully.

Kate nodded, smiling at his obvious joy. She handed me one of the paper hospital gowns and told me to remove my shirt while she went to get the ultrasound machine.

"Isn't this exciting?" I asked Edward as I pulled my shirt over my head. "We're going to see our baby!"

Edward responded by grabbing the belt loops on my jeans and pulling me closer to him. I felt him press his lips to my abdomen lovingly. He looked up and his emerald eyes shone with happiness. "It's very exciting, love."

I put the paper gown on and hopped up on the exam table just as Dr. Denali knocked and swung the door open. She rolled the ultrasound equipment inside and shut the door again. She walked us through the process as she set up the equipment. Edward came to stand next to me and held my hand in his.

"Now, Bella, I need you to lie back and pull that gown up for me." I rolled the cart over to the exam table and sat on a rolling stool. I complied with her request. "Can you unbutton your jeans, please?" I complied once again.

Kate reached for a tube on the cart. "I apologize in advance; this is going to be cold." She chuckled quietly and squeezed the blue gel on my stomach. I jumped when the freezing gel hit my skin. "Sorry, sorry!" Kate apologized quickly.

She took a wand with a long cord attached to the end off the cart. "Ready?" Edward and I nodded. She flipped on the screen and set the wand low on my stomach. She moved it around for a minute or two, the silence in the room making me anxious.

She found the picture she wanted and paused to look at the screen intently. She flipped a switch on the screen and the sound of a steady heartbeat filled the room. I felt tears spring to my eyes and a choked sob escaped my throat as Edward squeezed my hand.

Kate smiled triumphantly. "There's your baby." She gestured to the screen.

Edward and I leaned forward simultaneously and squinted at the screen. We looked at each other and saw the same look of confusion in the other's eyes. I turned back to the screen and felt more tears fill my eyes. "I don't see it!" I cried, pressing a hand to my mouth.

Kate smiled knowingly. "The fetus is very small at this stage. That's it right there." She pointed to a small peanut shape in the center of the screen.

"That's it?" I could hear the tears in my voice. "Well I saw that!"

She chuckled and nodded. "Do you want a picture?"

"Yes!" Edward answered eagerly.

"You're about seven weeks along. I don't see anything abnormal and everything appears to be healthy. I estimate you're due date," She chuckled. "To be December 25th."

"Christmas?" I laughed.

"The best damn Christmas present ever." Edward said as he kissed my cheek. "When can we find out the sex of the baby?"

"At around sixteen to twenty weeks." Kate said as she handed me a towel to wash off the gel. "Usually around the time you start feeling the first kicks." She nodded in my direction. "You won't be able to feel the baby kick until about the twenty-second to the twenty-fourth week, Edward."

Kate printed us a few copies of the sonogram picture. She also gave us pre-natal vitamins and a few pamphlets. She instructed us to read as many of the books as we can and to make sure we're well informed about every single step of the process. We made an appointment with Irina in four weeks on our way out.

On our way home, Edward stopped at a bookstore around the corner from our house and bought five books on pregnancy and child birth. I said that one would be just fine for today, but he insisted on five.

We parked in our parking space in front of our house and walked up the steps hand-in-hand, grinning madly at each other. When we opened the door, we were assaulted by a small body.

"How did it go?" Alice asked excited.

I looked at her quizzically. "How the hell did you get into our house?"

She waved me off. "I have a key, remember?" she dangled the piece of jagged metal in my face.

I rolled my eyes and walked past her into the living room. I found that Alice didn't come alone. Emmett, Jasper, and Rose had helped themselves to our TV and food.

Jasper looked up when I walked in. "Hey, how was the appointment?"

Alice danced past me and sat next to Jasper on the couch. "It was great." Edward said as he came up behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist. "Everything is a hundred percent healthy."

"Did you get a due date?" Rose asked with a smile.

I chuckled quietly. "December 25th."

"A Christmas baby!" Alice shrieked happily. "That's amazing!"

"We have a picture. Do you want to see it?" I asked them.

"Yes!" they all shouted.

I laughed as I dug around in my purse. I pulled out the fuzzy black and white picture and handed it to Alice. She held it in front of Rose and herself. They tilted their heads to the side and looked confused.

"It's the peanut shape in the middle." Edward offered when they didn't ask.

"Oh!" Rose said. "It's so small."

I sat on the couch next to her and touched the picture gently. "She is. I can't believe she'll be here in just eight months."

Rose passed the picture to Emmett and Jasper. "Hey, he's got you nose, Eddie!"

Edward smacked the back of his head and took the sonogram out of his hand. "Idiot," he grumbled as he looked at the picture tenderly.

When the freeloaders left after dinner, Edward and I made our way leisurely up to bed. As Edward finished up in the bathroom, I walked over to our full-length mirror and pulled up my shirt to look at my abdomen.

All of a sudden, the air rushed out of my lungs as it hit me. I was going to be a mom and I don't know the first thing about motherhood or even pregnancy. My breaths came faster and faster as I felt a panic attack coming on.

Edward must have heard me hyperventilate because he rushed out of our bathroom and caught me as I started to sag to the floor. "Bella? Love, what's wrong?" He carried me to our bed and laid me down. "Talk to me."

"I don't know if I can do this." I shook my head. "I don't know anything about pregnancy or about being a mom!" I cried.

"Shh, love." Edward brushed my hair off my forehead and planted a kiss there. "It'll be okay. We'll get through it together. We both will figure it out together."

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.

"Besides," Edward smile and squeezed my shoulders. "Think of our baby you're growing in there." He laid his large hand over my flat stomach. "Think how great how she or he will be."

I smiled. "She will be."

* * *

><p>BPOV<p>

"Sophia Cruz… Edward Cullen… Isabella Cullen…"

I stood up when the president of Boston University, Dr. Everett, called my name and looked over at the sea of scarlet and white graduation robes. As I walked over to the podium where the president was standing, I searched the crowd for familiar faces.

My parents were sitting in the fifth row next to a grinning Carlisle and Esme. My mother was crying, of course. Alice was sitting next to Carlisle. Well, bouncing would be a more appropriate adjective. She winked and waved to me when I caught her eye. I grinned at her and stepped up behind Edward to receive my diploma.

"Congratulations, Mr. Cullen," Dr. Everett shook Edward's hand and handed him his diploma.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Cullen," Dr. Everett shook my hand and handed me my diploma.

I moved past him and took Edward's hand as we walked across the stage to where the other students who had already received their diplomas.

"Our only married couple in this class of graduates, ladies and gentleman." Dr. Everett smirked and gestured to Edward and me as we walked away.

I felt my cheeks go red as Edward kissed my temple and the crowd laughed.

An hour later, we were pronounced graduates of Boston University and we threw our caps in the air. I gave Edward a big kiss while caps rained down around us before I pulled him over to see our family. Emmett, Rose, and Jasper had already joined them by the time we got to them.

"My baby, a college graduate!" Renee squealed as she wrenched me from Edward's arms and pulled me into her too tight embrace.

"Uh, Mom?" I choked out. "Can't… breathe…"

"Oh, sorry, Bella," She smiled at me tearily as she released me.

"We should go out and celebrate!" Emmett boomed. "To the bar!"

Three hours later, after the five of us had changed out of the ugly polyester graduation robes, we all met up at the bar around the corner from Edward and Emmett's old dorm. Emmett and Rose found it on one of their first dates over five years ago.

"Baby B!" Emmett boomed from across the bar when Edward and I entered. "Baby B is having a baby!"

Clearly, he's already had a few.

"Emmett, would you keep your voice down?" Edward growled as he slid into the booth across from Emmett, Rose, and Jasper and next to Alice.

"Chill out, Eddie," Emmett grinned at him sloppily. "Relax, throw back a few brews!"

Edward glanced at me and I nodded.

Jasper laughed. "You have to ask permission from your woman, Edward?"

"Hell yes he does!" I huffed and crossed my arms across my chest. "I have to be in the right mood to deal with his hung over ass tomorrow morning if I'm going to be puking all over the place."

"Man, Edward," Rose smirked and shook her head as she took a sip from her beer bottle. "You are seriously whipped."

Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. "And loving every second of it."

About an hour later, when I was the only one sober one at our table, I offered to get the next round. I asked the bartender for four beers and a club soda. I'd decided that Edward was cut off. I really don't want to deal with a cranky hung over Edward while going through morning sickness tomorrow.

The bartender slid me the club soda and went to get the beers. As I waited for him to bring me the drinks, I heard someone approach me on the left and sit on the bar stool next to me. "Hey,"

I turned to see a tall man with tan-ish skin and brown hair and eyes. He was smiling at me kind of creepily and looking at me up and down. He had a beer bottle in hand and it looked like he'd already had a few others. "Hello," I responded curtly and turned back around.

"The name is Tyler Crowley."

I turned back around to see him extending his hand in my direction. I shook it briefly before dropping it with a slight grimace. _Ew. Sweaty hands! _"Marie Swan," Like hell was telling this creep my real name.

"Not much of a drinker, huh?" Creepy Tyler motioned to my club soda.

"Not as of lately." I sighed, really wishing he would leave me alone.

"So listen," Creepy Tyler said, sliding closer to me. "I live right around the corner."

"And…?" I rolled my eyes and thanked the bartender when he set the beers down in front of me.

"We could get out of here and go back to my place…" Creepy Tyler trailed off, sliding even closer to me.

I laughed. Directly in his face. "Uh, fuck no. I don't think my _husband_," I pointed over to Edward. "Would like that very much. Please, take your creepy ass and take three steps back."

I picked up the beers and my club soda and left Creepy Tyler to walk back to my family.

"What was up with that, Bells?" Alice asked as I passed her a beer.

I shrugged. "Creepy guy hitting on me, I took care of it."

I looked over and saw Edward glaring at me. "What?"

"First, some guy hit on you? And second, where's my beer?"

I rolled my eyes. "Relax, Jealousward. I took care of it. I just told him that my husband wouldn't appreciate it if we went back to his place. And then I proceeded to ask him to move his creepy ass back three steps."

Everyone laughed. "I love you." Edward chuckled and pressed his lips to mine.

"I love you, too. And your beer is still behind the bar because, you Mr. Cullen, are cut off." I told him, quirking my eyebrow at him daring him to defy me. "We both don't need to be throwing up in the morning."

Edward pouted but didn't argue with me.

I giggled and kissed my gorgeous husband on the cheek as our friends teased him for being completely whipped. I sat back in the booth and sighed as Edward rubbed small soothing circles on my lower abdomen. "This is going to be a long seven months, isn't it?"

I laughed and nodded. "It will be. But it will be one of the best times of our lives."

"Too true, my love."

* * *

><p><strong>AN****: **I hope you all liked chapter 9! Chapter 10 will be out sometime tomorrow!

So, what do you think they're going to have, a boy or a girl?


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:  
><strong>Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)

So the general consensus was pretty much equally divided between they're having a boy and they're having a girl. We shall see!

It gets a little dicey in this chapter, but fear not all's well that ends well!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

EPOV

One afternoon in late July, I invited Emmett and Jasper over to watch that afternoon's baseball game. I let Bella sleep in most mornings. Now that her morning sickness was gone, she's been able to sleep past seven o'clock.

Some random politician was about to throw out the first pitch when Bella came bounding down the stairs, dressed for the day and purse in hand.

"Hey, guys!" She greeted us brightly. She bent down to give me a kiss good morning and I rubbed the little bump on her stomach affectionately. "I'm gonna walk to the library. It's so nice out."

"What book are you after, Bells?" Jasper asked.

She smiled. "Some children's books so we can read to the baby." She gave me a small peck goodbye. "Love you, I'll see you later."

"Love you, too, baby." I called after her as she left the house.

About two hours later, sometime during the bottom of the fifth inning, the phone rang. Emmett who was closest to the receiver, answered. "Cullen residence, Emmett speaking." Jasper and I chuckled at the use of his formal voice. Emmett's face turned confused. "No, he's right here, hold on a second." He passed the phone to me and mouthed "The cops."

I raised an eyebrow at him and took the phone. "Hello?"

"Am I speaking with Edward Cullen?" the gruff voice said on the other end.

"Yes, who is this?"

"Sir, I'm Detective Johnson with the Boston Police Department. There's been an accident involving your wife, Isabella."

My blood ran cold and I felt panic settle in. "Oh my God, is she alright? What happened?" I asked frantically as I got to my feet. I felt Jasper and Emmett's eyes on me.

"She was attacked outside the public library on Boylston Street. She was taken to Mass General about thirty minutes ago. I'm on my way there now and I can fill you in when you get there."

I raked my hand through my hair and started looking for my wallet and keys. "Thank you, Detective. I'll be there." I said in a shaky voice and hung up. I dropped the phone and heard it clatter to the ground.

"What's going on, Edward?" Emmett asked in a concerned voice.

"Bella's been attacked." I choked out.

Emmett launched himself to his feet. "Well what the hell are we waiting for?"

"Give me your keys, Edward." Jasper said calmly. "Neither of you are in any state of mind to drive."

I handed over the keys to the Volvo and all three of us headed out. We made it to Mass General in record time and found a parking spot easily, thank God. We ran down the side walk and burst through the Emergency Room doors. I strode up to the reception desk.

"My wife, Bella Cullen, was just brought in. Where is she?" I asked in a frenzied voice.

Before the receptionist could respond, someone else spoke behind me. "Mr. Cullen?"

I spun around to see a tall man, slightly older than myself, standing a few feet away. "I'm Detective Johnson, we spoke on the phone."

I shook the hand he held out to me. "Where's Bella, where's my wife?"

Detective Johnson put a hand on my shoulder and led me away from the waiting room, Emmett and Jasper following closely behind. "The doctors are working on her now, Sir."

"What happened?" Emmett asked impatiently. Detective Johnson looked at him wearily. Emmett offered him his hand. "I'm Emmett Swan, Bella's brother."

Detective Johnson looked at Jasper expectantly. "I'm Jasper Hale," Jasper shook the detective's hand. "Family friend."

Detective Johnson was put at ease once he knew Emmett and Jasper's connection to Bella. "Mrs. Cullen was attacked by a man outside the public library on Boylston. Luckily, a few people passing by, including an off-duty detective, saw the whole exchange and stepped in to help. They called 9-1-1 and pulled the man off of her and held him down until officers arrived."

I raked my hands through my hair in distress. "Who is this guy?"

"The man's name is James Moore; he's a professor at Boston University. Any idea who he is?"

Realization hit me. "He was her professor. He starting hitting on her and making her feel uncomfortable. He asked her out twice and she turned him down both times. The second time she turned him down, he didn't take it very well and grabbed her wrist. The bruises lasted a couple of weeks. She switched classes halfway through the semester and we graduated in May."

Detective Johnson nodded and jotted some notes down in his notebook. "That's very interesting. I'll be sure to follow up on that." He flipped the notebook closed. "Okay, I'll take you three to see her now."

We followed the detective down a hallway and into the bustling Emergency Room. A tall brunette doctor spotted us came over. "Detective Johnson, I'm assuming you're here to see Mrs. Cullen."

Detective Johnson nodded. "Dr. Morgan, this is Mr. Cullen, the husband."

I shook the woman's hand. "How's my wife?" I asked her desperately.

"She's doing well. She was unconscious when she was brought in, but woke up a few minutes ago. She has minor contusions and lacerations on her arms, legs, and face and her wrist is sprained. We did a CT scan of her head to make sure that she doesn't have any internal injuries. The only thing we found is that she has a minor concussion." She sighed. "She'd been asking for an Edward, I'm assuming that's you."

I nodded. "How's the baby?" I asked anxiously.

"Baby?" Detective Johnson asked, confusion evident on his face as he flipped through his notebook. "There was no baby found on scene."

"No, Bella is eighteen weeks pregnant." I informed them.

Dr. Morgan turned to a nurse walking by. "Page someone from OB/GYN and get them down here quickly." The nurse nodded and walked swiftly away. Dr. Morgan turned back to me. "I'll take you to her now, but only you for the time being."

"Call Alice, Rose, and Charlie and Renee." I told Emmett and Jasper before Dr. Morgan led me away.

Dr. Morgan led me through the Emergency Room and stopped in front of a room with a big glass window with the blinds shut. Dr. Morgan opened the door and gestured for me to go in.

I hurried inside and gasped when I saw my Bella lying in bed. There were bruises and cuts all over her body. Her left eye was black and blue and had a cut with a few stitches across her right cheekbone. Her right wrist was in a brace. My eyes stung with tears when I took in my wife's small beaten body.

"Edward?" It was then that I noticed my Bella's big brown eyes were open and looking at me.

"Bella!" I choked out and ran over to her bedside. I sat in the chair by her bed and pulled her hand up to my face. "Oh my God, sweetheart, I'm so sorry." I sobbed.

"Why are you sorry, baby?" she croaked. I felt her hand run through my hair and lightly scratched my scalp with her fingernails.

"I shouldn't have let you go alone." I whispered, pressing kisses to her knuckles.

"Don't be stupid." Bella said. She continued to stroke my hair for a few minutes before she spoke again. "Come here,"

I looked up at her. "What do you mean? I'm right here."

She rolled her eyes. "Kiss me, Edward, I need to feel you." She whispered.

I moved my chair so I was up by her head and leaned over and pressed my lips to hers. She held me to her with her good hand. A knock on the door a minute later pulled us apart.

The door opened and Dr. Denali walked in. "Hey, guys," Kate said with a smile. "They paged me to make sure everything's okay with your baby."

Bella nodded. "Of course, Kate, I think I felt a kick a few minutes ago."

"That's good sign." Kate murmured as she set up the ultrasound equipment. When we heard our baby's strong heartbeat fill the room, Bella and I sighed in relief.

"Yep, she's a-okay." Kate said.

"She?" Bella asked, breathlessly.

Kate nodded. "She's in the right position for the first time so that I can tell her gender. Congratulations."

"We're having a girl?" I asked her.

She nodded with a small smile on her face. "I'll see you two at your next appointment." She said as she left the room.

"We're having a girl!" Bella gushed with a huge smile on her face.

I wiped the tears from her cheeks. "She's going to be beautiful, just like her mother."

She sobbed and laughed the same time and the tears started flowing steadily. She took my face in her hands and stroked my cheekbones with her thumbs. "The things you say to me…" she shook her head. "If our daughter has any shred of your good looks, we'll have to keep her away from boys from an early age."

I groaned and rested my forehead against hers. "She's not even born yet and I'm already over protective of her."

Bella giggled. "That's perfectly fine. It just means you love her."

"I do, very much." I kissed her again and let my hand run over the small bump on her stomach.

Someone knocked on the door a few minutes later. "Mr. and Mrs. Cullen?" Detective Johnson poked his head in the room.

"Yes?" Bella said.

He stepped into the room with another uniform officer. "Hi, Mrs. Cullen, I'm Detective Johnson. I need to take your statement and then the doctors said you can be discharged."

"Okay." Bella sat up a little farther against the pillows. She looked over at me. "Can Edward stay?"

Detective Johnson nodded and took out a silver tape recorder and pressed a button.

"Where do I start?" Bella asked meekly.

"Why don't you start when you woke up this morning?" Detective Johnson nodded.

Bella took a deep breath. "Well, I slept late this morning. Ever since my morning sickness stopped I've been taking every opportunity to sleep late. When I got up, I took a shower, got dressed and decided to go to the library. I wanted some children's books so my husband and I could read to our baby." Bella absentmindedly caressed her bump. "I decided to walk since it was only two blocks away and it was such a nice day.

"I left around one. My husband and my brother and another one of our friends were watching the baseball game on TV. I walked the two blocks to the library and picked out a few of my favorite books from when I was little. I'd started walking back down Boylston Street when I felt someone grab my arm. It was James, an old professor of mine."

"Yes," Detective Johnson interrupted. "Your husband told me he's been harassing you."

Bella nodded. "Yes. I told him to let me go and he only held me tighter. He said 'you got knocked up?' and then he called me a filthy whore and punched me in the face. I dropped my purse and the books I'd just borrowed. It all happened so fast. He started punching me and hitting me everywhere. Thankfully, he didn't hit my stomach. I yelled for help but he just kept hitting me. He pushed me to the ground and I smacked my head on the concrete. I blacked out. The next thing I remember is waking up here and the doctor explaining to me what happened."

Bella wiped a tear from her eyes after she finished. I squeezed her hand and kissed her temple.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen," Detective Johnson said and switched off the recorder. "I'll call you in a few days to give you an update on the investigation."

A couple of hours later, Bella and I walked through our front door. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked her again.

"I'm fine, baby," she reassured me.

I caught her hands and pulled her against my chest. "I could have lost you and our little girl today, sweetheart." I brushed her hair away from her face and kissed the tip of her nose.

"I know, but you didn't." she squeezed my hand. "How about we heat up some leftovers and spend the rest of the night in bed watching some old movies?"

"Sounds perfect." I answered.

About two hours later, I hugged Bella against my chest as we watched Captain Renault and Rick walk into the mist and Rick saying _"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." _

"I love that movie." Bella sighed as the end credits rolled.

"_Casablanca_ is a classic." I mused.

"Hey," Bella said, turning to face me. "Will you go get the books for me? I want to start reading to her."

I nodded and hopped off of our bed to retrieve the books Bella got at the library off of the desk. "Why do you want us to read to her anyway?" I asked her as I handed her the books.

"I read in one of my books that she'll get used to the sound of my voice and associate it with warmth and shelter. And she'll get used to your voice and it will help you two bond after she's born. It also said singing works."

"Okay, love, I'm on board." I sat with her back against the pillows while I stretched across the bed and laid my head in her lap.

"Which one should I read?" She asked. She'd picked out a great selection of children's books; most of them were ones I loved when I was little. She got _The Giving Tree, Where the Wild Things Are, Love You Forever, Goodnight Moon, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, _and_ Madeline_.

I pointed to _Madeline_ and laughed. "How did you know we were having a girl?"

Bella picked up _Madeline_ and smiled. "Even if she was a boy, I would have read her _Madeline_. It was my favorite book."

Bella opened the book and began to read. I didn't listen to the words. I just closed my eyes and listened to the soothing sound of my wife's voice. When she was finished she set the book next to her and looked down at the others. "Do you want to read one?" she asked.

I nodded and picked up _Love You Forever_. "This one always made Mom cry when she read it to us."

"It made Renee cry, too." She laughed.

I turned over onto my stomach and propped myself on my elbows. I put the book in Bella's lap and opened it.

"_A mother held her new baby and _

_And very slowly rocked him back and forth,_

_Back and forth, back and forth._

_And while she held him, she sang:_

_I'll love you forever_

_I'll like you for always,_

_As long as I'm living _

_My baby you'll be."_

By the time I was done reading the book Bella had tears streaming down her face. "Now I know why they were crying!" she cried.

I wiped the tears from her eyes and chuckled. "It's not a very cheery children's book, is it?"

"It's very touching." Bella nodded. She put the book in the pile with _Madeline_. "Read another, Edward. You have such a nice speaking voice."

I could never say no to Bella. About two pages in to _Where the Wild Things Are_, Bella gasped. I looked up at her. She looked surprised about something and nodded her head for me to continue. "Keep reading." She insisted and laid both of her hands on her stomach.

When I kept reading, Bella gasped again. "She likes your voice, Edward. She's kicking while your reading."

I grinned and kept on reading. I knew I couldn't feel her kicking yet even if I tried. I finished the book and sat up I pulled Bella in to my arms and kissed her soundly. "She's not even born yet and she's already a Daddy's girl." I said amidst a laugh.

"Just as it should be." She chuckled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **They're having a girl! And the Creepy Professor situation is resolved!

What do you think they'll name their daughter?

See you tomorrow with chapter 11!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

A lot of great guess for the baby names, everyone! We'll just have to wait and see what they choose!

This chapter fast-tracks Bella's pregnancy. I didn't think we needed we needed to drag it out very far.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

I woke early one morning and left Bella curled in a little ball on her side of the bed. I dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and kissed Bella's forehead before going downstairs to get started on breakfast. I knew at once she smelled the pancakes she'd be downstairs in a heartbeat.

When I was about halfway done with the pancakes, I heard a thump and Bella's exasperated growls coming from our room upstairs. I turned off the griddle and made my way upstairs to make sure she was okay. I walked in the room and saw her standing in front of the full length mirror in nothing but the tank top she slept in and her underwear.

"What's wrong, love?"

She turned her head to look at me and I saw tears in her eyes. "Nothing fits." She said in a choked whisper.

"What do you mean nothing fits?" I asked confusedly. "All of your clothes fit yesterday."

Bella scowled at me. "You think I don't know that?" She snapped. I definitely wouldn't miss these pregnancy mood swings. "I inflated overnight."

She turned completely to face me and that's when I saw it. Bella looked pregnant. Like _really _pregnant. Only yesterday it just looked like she had a big lunch.

"Oh my god," I breathed. I walked over to her and placed a hand on either side of her distended stomach. "This is amazing, love."

"Really?" Bella's eyes turned misty as she looked up at me. "You don't think I'm utterly repulsive now that I'm fat?"

I rested my forehead against hers. "Never, Bella." I gave her a small peck in reassurance. "In fact, you've never been this beautiful."

"Really?" She sniffled.

"Of course, sweetheart. You're carrying my child, how could you be anything but beautiful to me?"

She cupped my cheek and gave me a small kiss. "Thanks, baby."

Bella crossed to our closet and pulled out a pair of jeans. She stepped in and pulled them up to her hips and attempted to button them. It was actually very funny to watch her jump and wiggle around trying to button her pants. She threw herself on the bed and wrestled with button on her jeans before slumping in defeat and reaching over to the bedside table for her phone.

"I need your help." Was all she said when the person on the other end answered the phone before hanging up. Bella turned to me with a little adorable pout on her face. "Will you find me something that will fit?"

I nodded and went over to our dresser. I pulled out a pair of her black stretchy yoga pants and one of my t-shirts and handed them to her.

"Thanks, baby." She gave me a kiss in thanks, which quickly escaladed until she was sprawled on her back on the bed and I was hovering over her.

A cough from the doorway interrupted us. I nearly fell off of the bed and Bella yelped in surprise.

"Goddamn it, Alice!" I growled at my smirking sister standing in the doorway and rolled off of Bella. "Why the hell are you in our house?"

"Bella said she needed me." She shrugged. "What seems to be the problem?" she asked Bella.

Bella gestured to her stomach. "I finally popped after five months. It's about time I break down and buy maternity clothes." She sighed.

Alice squealed. "Great! I'll call Rose!"

I suddenly feared for my wife's safety.

* * *

><p>BPOV<p>

"What are you crazy, Alice?" I shook my head in disgust and shoved the offending fabric back at her. "I am in no way, shape or form wearing leather when I'm pregnant. Actually, scratch that, I'm never wearing leather ever."

Alice pouted and I heard Rose cackle in the next dressing room. "Fine, Bella, don't be a hot mom." Alice huffed.

"I have an awesome husband who tells me every day that I'm beautiful, even today when my stomach tripled in size. I don't care what the meanie preschool moms think."

Alice snickered. "I know a few of those. The school where I'm doing my student teaching is this really upscale place that has ridiculous tuition for four year olds. Those moms come in with their giant purses and their huge sunglasses and don't even say goodbye to their children. They just hop back in their giant Escalades and drive away without a second glance." She shook her head in disgust. "It makes me sick."

I turned to look in the mirror in the dressing room stall and ran my hands over my baby belly. "I don't think I could ever do that. I already love her so much."

"I don't see how you couldn't love her," Rose said as she stepped out of the dressing room in a gorgeous red dress. "She's growing inside you." She reached out and rested her hand on my distended stomach.

My baby suddenly gave a swift kick, right in the exact spot where Rose rested her hand. Rose gasped and quickly withdrew her hand. "What the fuck?"

"You felt that?" I asked her. No one had been able to feel her kicks except me so far.

Rose nodded looking a bit awestruck. "That was a kick?"

I nodded and Alice squealed. "No one besides me has been able to feel her yet."

Rose beamed. "Then I'm honored."

After traipsing through countless other stores, Alice finally dropped me off with my millions of forced purchases at home. I dropped my bags by the door and ran through the house looking for Edward. "Edward!" I finally found him in his office with his headphones on and reading a magazine. "Edward!"

He jumped about two feet in the air, the magazine spilling out of his hands and landing with a _splat_ on the floor. He ripped the headphones out of his ears with a frantic look on his face. "What's wrong, love?"

I beamed at him and moved to stand in front of him. "Nothing, nothing!" I took his hands and placed them on my round stomach.

"Bella, what –"

"Edward, shut up. Just feel your daughter kicking."

He immediately fell silent. About a minute or two later, huge grin spread across his face when our baby gave his hand a soft poke. "Wow," Edward's brow furrowed and ran his hands all over my stomach. "Bella…"

I cupped his cheek. "I know." I grinned as he bent his head to press a kiss to my belly.

* * *

><p>BPOV<p>

One Saturday in late September, Edward and I lay on the couch enjoying a rare night off from our crazy family and baby planning. Ever since my explosion last month, my stomach had been noticeably growing every week and Edward loves every minute of it. He loves to touch and kiss my belly. It's really very sweet.

So there were on the couch, Edward rubbing my belly affectionately while we watched a _How I Met Your Mother_ marathon on TV, when the doorbell rang.

I climbed off Edward's lap and padded across the foyer to answer the door. I rested my hand on the top of my belly without thinking and pulled open the door. There, on my stoop, was a red-rimmed, puffy eyed Rose with a bulging tote bag slung over her shoulder and a set of car keys in her hand.

"Uh, hi, Bells," Rose smiled tightly. "Can I stay here tonight?"

I smiled and opened the door wider for her to come inside. "Of course,"

When I shut the door and turned back around, I saw Rose's eyes fill with tears. I stretched up on my toes and pulled her in for a hug. She hugged me back tightly and rested her head on my shoulder as she cried.

"Who was at the door, baby?" Edward called from the living room.

I took Rose's hand in mine and pulled her into the living room. "We have a house guest for the night, sweetheart." I said with a smile as I pulled Rose to sit in the recliner.

Edward smiled. "Oh, good, you can break in our guest room. No one has stayed there yet."

Edward pulled me to sit next to him on the couch. He rested his hand on my belly and I giggled as he nuzzled my neck.

"I should go." I looked up in shock to see Rose standing in front of the recliner looking nervous. "I shouldn't have dropped in on you two. You guys are newlyweds and you're pregnant for god's sake!" She turned to go.

"Rose wait! Don't go!" I hopped off the couch to grab her arm. "You're more than welcome to stay with us. You aren't intruding at all." Rose looked weary but nodded anyways. "Come on," I tugged on her sleeve and led her to the stairs. "Let me show you where to put your things."

After Rose, Edward, and I enjoyed a meal of leftover lasagna, Edward retired to our room and Rose and I went to the guest room. I sat on the bed and patted the space next to me. "Now, do you want to talk about it?" I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

I guessed it was about her and Emmett's recent move. On the same weekend, Alice and Jasper and Emmett and Rose moved in together. We spent Saturday moving in Emmett and Rose and spent Sunday moving in Alice and Jasper. Well, I wasn't much of a help since it's not safe for me to lift heavy things.

She shook her head and rested her head on my shoulder. "It was just a silly argument. It's hard adjusting to a new roommate. With Jas, he just knew what to do and what not to do. Maybe that was a twin thing. Em doesn't catch on that quickly." Rose sighed. "Believe it or not, we fought over the milk carton. And I overreacted _big time_ and left."

I tried to cover my giggle. "The milk?"

Rose nodded, a small smirk appearing on her face. "He keeps putting the empty milk carton back in the fridge."

I laughed. "He would. He's never had enough common sense to even think of putting something like that in the trash."

Rose smiled and turned to look at me. "Thank you, Bella."

"No problem, Rose." I gave her a hug and turned to leave. "Sleep well."

"Goodnight, Bells."

The next morning, I woke to the smell of waffles wafting up from the kitchen. I threw on my robe and put on my slippers before trudging downstairs. I found both Rose and Edward awake and talking over cups of coffee in the kitchen.

"Good morning!" I said to them as I entered the kitchen.

"And what a good morning it is, love." Edward beamed before I pressed my lips to his for a good morning kiss.

Rose smirked over her cup of coffee. "Now I know why Emmett was always complaining about sharing a place with you. Damn, you two are loud." She broke into laughter. "Better keep it down when the little one gets here or she's going to need massive amounts of therapy when she grows up."

I stuck my tongue out at her and went to get myself some waffles. "It's those second trimester hormones. Just wait until you have kids one day. You'll be fucking insatiable too." I said as I flipped two waffles onto my plate.

Our breakfast was interrupted when the doorbell rang. Edward smiled as if he knew who it was and went to answer the door. "Rose?" He called. "I believe there's someone here for you."

Both Rose and I quickly made our way to the foyer. There, standing just inside the door looking sheepish, was Emmett. Rose slowly made her way over to him and they began talking in hushed tones to each other.

I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me from behind. I leaned against Edward's chest as we looked at the couple standing a few feet from us. "That was a nice thing you did, Edward." I whispered to him.

"Yeah, well I figured someone should talk some sense into him."

I smiled when Rose flung her arms around Emmett's neck and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Edward."

"Love you, too, baby."

* * *

><p>EPOV<p>

"Edward, baby?" Bella called from upstairs. "Will you bring me my book please?"

I chuckled at Bella's lack of organization skills. Dr. Denali put Bella on bed rest for the last month of her pregnancy. Bella is a small woman, only an inch or two taller than Alice. Because her stomach was getting so big, it was setting her a little off balance. And with only a month left in her pregnancy, it would be very dangerous if she fell. She also got very tired if she was on her feet for too long, that added with the normal pregnancy back pain, we both couldn't wait for our daughter to make her appearance.

I found her book and climbed the stairs to bring it to her. She was sitting up in bed, her legs stretched out in front of her, back against the pillows with a magazine in her lap. Her hands rested on the top of her distended stomach and her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. All she could wear these days was my sweatpants and t-shirts.

"Thanks, baby!" Bella said brightly, holding her hands out for the book.

I sat down on the bed beside her and kissed her cheek. "You're very welcome, sweetheart. How are you two doing?" I caressed her stomach and gave her a quick peck.

"We're good." I let my hand linger on her stomach, hoping my daughter would give me a little poke. "I don't think you'll get a kick out of her." Bella commented. "She was dancing around in there earlier but she seems to have tired herself out and fallen asleep."

I frowned. "Isn't she always asleep?"

"Nope," She shook her head. "What did Kate tell me? Oh right, right now she can see, hear, taste, and touch. There are times when she's less active which Kate tells me is just when she's sleeping. Although she does roll over in her sleep sometimes." Bella jumped slightly and touched her stomach before giggling to herself. "She's got the hiccups."

I laughed. "I didn't know she could get hiccups." I caressed Bella's big belly reverently. "She really is a tiny little human in there."

Bella giggled. "And you're just realizing this now?"

"I guess it's just sort of all coming together in my head." I chuckled. "Are you excited, baby? Only three weeks to go."

An excited smile lit Bella's beautiful face. "I'm so excited. We're ready for this. I'm ready to meet her." Bella glanced around the room until she spotted something behind me. "Will you get my sweater for me? I think it's getting cold in here."

I nodded and rose to retrieve her thick, chunky cardigan from where it was sitting on top of the dresser. I helped her wrap it around her shoulders as she slid her arms through the sleeves and tried to button it on top of her basketball sized bump.

Bella chuckled when the buttons wouldn't button. "I guess I'm getting pretty big, aren't I?"

"All I know is that you're getting more beautiful every day." I murmured as I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

A blush rose in Bella's cheeks. "You say the sweetest things to me." She touched my cheek as I grinned.

"All of them are true, love."

* * *

><p>BPOV<p>

"Thanks so much for staying with me, Esme." I said as I fluffed my pillow. "You really didn't need to."

"Nonsense dear," Esme scoffed as she helped me reposition myself against the pillows. "I was lonely in that big house without Carlisle anyways."

Edward and Carlisle were in Dallas at some kind of medical convention. Since my due date was only five days away and I was still on bed rest, Esme offered to stay with me and help me with anything I needed.

"I'm going to go fix us some lunch. Do you need anything before I go downstairs?" She asked me. I shook my head. "Alright, I'll just bring up your lunch in a bit."

I busied myself with the latest issue of _Cosmo_ while I waited for Esme to come back. After a while my back started to spasm so I shifted positions. I gasped in pain and felt a gushing sensation. "Shit!"

Esme came rushing up the stairs. "What's wrong, Bella?"

"I think my water just broke."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Dun dun dun!

Hope you liked the 11th chapter! Tomorrow we'll welcome the new little Cullen to the world!


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)  
><strong>

I know everyone is excited to meet the baby so here you go! Its a little short but satisfying.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

EPOV

I have no idea what possessed me to do this. I knew it was a stupid idea from the start.

That's what I was thinking as I sat in a warm convention center in Dallas, over a thousand miles away from my very pregnant wife. Dad and I had planned on going to this medical conference months before Bella got pregnant and there was no way out now. Bella told me to go when I offered to stay with her. I made her promise to call me if there were any problems. Mom offered to stay in our house with Bella, to which I was eternally grateful.

I still had no idea why I was here! It was five days before Christmas – five days before Bella's due date – and Bella was about to pop any minute.

I was about to lean over and tell Dad that I was getting the next flight out, when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I jumped out of my seat and pulled my phone out of my jeans on my way out of the hall.

I looked at the caller ID and smiled. "Bella, love, I was just about to call you. I think I'm going to come home. I don't like that you're all alone now."

"Well you better make it quick." Bella huffed. It was then that I noticed her strained voice and labored breathing.

"What's wrong, love?" I asked worriedly.

"She's early, Edward. My water broke." Bella said. "Esme just drove me to the hospital."

I jumped into overdrive. "Bella, I'm getting on the next flight out. I'm on my way, sweetheart."

"Okay," Bella whined. "I love you, Edward."

"Love you, too, baby. I'll be there as soon as I can."

We hung up and I ran back in the hall. "Dad!" I hissed when I got back to my seat. "We need to go. Bella's in labor."

Dad jumped out of his seat and we both ran out of the hall. "I'll call the airline. You go back upstairs and get our bags." He instructed calmly.

An hour later, Dad and I sat in the airport, waiting to board our plane. I called Bella again.

"Edward," Bella breathed.

"I'll be home in a little over three hours, love. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," she huffed.

"Put Mom on the phone, sweetheart." I wanted to be sure she was really okay.

I heard a rustle on the phone and then my mother's soothing voice. "Edward she's doing great. She's a real trooper."

I sighed. "Thanks for being there, Mom."

"Oh, it's no problem, dear."

I raked my hand through my hair almost painfully. "Does Dr. Denali know how much longer she has?"

"She said Bella is dilated four centimeters and that she could have a few hours left or she could have twelve hours left. There's no way to tell."

"Okay, thanks, Mom." I looked over to see that the door opened and the plane was boarding. "I have to go, we're boarding now. Tell Bella I love her and that I'll be there as soon as possible."

I hung up with my mother and Dad and I stood in line to board our plane.

Four hours later, our plane finally started to debark after circling over Logan International Airport for over an hour. It's snowing in Boston. Dad and I ran through the airport and out the door to find a taxi. Thankfully, there was one waiting right outside the doors. Dad pulled open the door and slid in first.

"Mass General Hospital, please." he said calmly.

I pulled out my phone and called Bella again.

"Edward!" Bella gasped in pain. "Where are you?"

I rested my head in my hands in agony. "I'm in the cab, love. I'll be there in ten minutes. What room are you in?"

"Room 4024. Hurry, baby," Bella groaned. "It won't be long now."

"I'm on my way, sweetheart. Don't wait for me. If you're ready, don't wait for me."

"I love you, Edward." Bella gasped.

"I love you, too, sweetheart." I hung up with Bella and leaned toward the front of the cab. "Please hurry. My daughter is going to be born any minute."

The cab driver smiled and nodded. I felt the cab speed up.

Fifteen minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of the hospital. I hopped out and ran inside while Dad paid the cab driver. The elevator could not have moved any slower. The second the doors opened, I ran out and down the hall. I stopped outside room 4024 and pushed the door open.

I walked in room and found the room full. Jasper and Emmett were sitting on a couch on the far side of the room. Charlie was standing awkwardly by the bathroom door. Alice paced around the room with her arms crossed tightly across her chest while Rose, Mom, and Renee stood by Bella's bedside, holding her hand.

Bella saw me first. "Edward, you're here!" her smile lit up the room.

I ran over to her and grabbed her hand. I kissed her fingers. "How're you doing, sweetheart?" I asked her.

"Well I'm about to push a tiny human out of my body so, how do you think I'm doing, Edward?" Bella growled. Emmett laughed loudly from across the room.

I chuckled and kissed her sweaty forehead. One thing I would not miss is the crazy mood swings.

The door opened and Dr. Denali walked in dressed in scrubs. "Ah, good timing, Edward. We were just about to move Bella to the delivery room." Kate checked the read out of one of the beeping machines by Bella's head. "Yep, its time." Kate nodded. "Your family can wait here, while we go down the hall."

Two nurses came in then and started to prepare Bella to move down the hall.

"Esme, I need you there, with me." Bella squeezed her eyes shut and gasped in pain. "I mean, if you want to." She amended.

Mom nodded and hurried to follow us out of the room. "Of course, dear."

* * *

><p>"Alright, Bella, just one more push. One more push and you'll have your baby girl." Kate said for the third time.<p>

I looked over to my wife. My hand is definitely broken. She's been squeezing it pretty hard for god knows how long. I had no idea how long we'd been in the delivery room. It could have been twenty minutes or two hours. Bella looked exhausted. "Come on, baby, you're doing great." I urged her on as Mom dabbed Bella's sweaty forehead with a washcloth.

Bella fell back against the bed. "I can't do it. Edward, I'm so tired and it hurts! Can't they just cut her out?"

"Not now, sweetheart, you're almost there. I know you can do this." I kissed her temple.

"Get ready, Bella." Kate said. "On the next contraction I need you to push."

I leaned over and whispered in Bella's ear. "I love you, Bella."

A look of determination flashed on Bella's face. She sat up and took hold of my hand and Mom's hand. She gave every ounce of energy she had left and we finally heard the harsh cries of our little girl fill the room. Two nurses whisked her away to clean her up, but not before I got a glimpse of her.

Bella collapsed back on the bed, panting in exhaustion. I kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear "I knew you could do it, love."

She coughed out a chuckle and propped her upper body up on her elbow. "Where'd she go?" Bella asked in a slightly panicked voice.

"The nurses are just cleaning her up a little. They'll bring her back in a minute." Mom said in a soothing voice, continuing to dab Bella's forehead with a towel.

Kate came back then, carrying a pink bundle in her arms. "Here's your baby girl." She said with a smile as she handed Bella our daughter, who was still crying. Kate sat back down on the stool by Bella's feet and finished cleaning her up.

"Oh, she's so beautiful!" Bella cried as she stroked our baby girl's cheek.

"Beautiful just like her mom." I said my voice breaking a little at the end. I put my hand on my daughter's head and stroked her soft skin with my thumb.

"Hi, baby girl," Bella said tenderly, bouncing her in her arms. "Daddy thinks I'm as pretty as you are but he's wrong. You're much more beautiful than me."

Our daughter stopped crying and opened her eyes to look up at her mom. She made a happy cooing noise, making Bella laugh.

"Bella, why don't you give the baby to Edward for a few minutes? You still have a little bit of work to do here." Kate suggested.

I stooped down so Bella could easily transfer our daughter to my arms. As I stood slowly up straight, I felt the full weight of my daughter in my arms.

"Hi, sweet girl," I said to her softly. She opened her big eyes and blinked up at me. "I love you so much." I looked at her tiny features and my heart melted. "You're not allowed to date until you're thirty." I said, making all the women in the room laugh.

About an hour later, Bella and I sat with our daughter on the bed back in room 4024. When we'd gotten back to the room, our whole family was gone. I sat next to Bella while I cradled our baby girl in my arms, taking advantage of our down time. My baby girl pulled one of her arms out of her blanket and grabbed hold of the tip of my index finger and was squeezing it in her tiny fist.

"We still don't have a name for her." Bella observed.

I looked down at my daughter's face and said the first name that came to mind. "Vanessa."

"Vanessa…" Bella tried it out before a tired smile stretched across her face. "That's perfect." We both decided a few months ago that no matter what her first name was, our daughter's middle name would be Esme.

I leaned over and pressed my lips to Bella's in a tender kiss. She touched my cheek lightly and ran her hand up into my hair.

A loud knock on the door interrupted our intimate moment. "Can we come in now?" We heard Alice's muffled voice whine. "The wait is killing me!"

"Come in, Alice." Bella laughed.

Alice hastily opened the door and rushed inside, along with the rest of our family. The girls immediately huddled around me, getting teary-eyed and saying how beautiful my little girl is. But of course they don't need to tell me. I already know how precious my little girl is.

I cleared my throat to get everyone's attention. "Everyone, this is Vanessa Esme Cullen."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **There you go, her name is Vanessa! And Edward made it back just in time!

Thanks for reading, I hope you liked the 12th chapter. Next up, a whole flashback chapter!

What do you think we'll be flashing back to?


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

Longest chapter yet, people!

Here's the flashback chapter. Back to High School we go!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

~ Seven years ago ~

November 16th

BPOV

The bell rang at exactly eleven-sixteen, signaling the end of another long and tedious Physics class. I packed up my belongings and scooted out of class as fast I possibly could. Before I could start walking down the hallway, a large, warm hand grabbed my own. I looked up to see the Edward had fallen in step beside me.

"Hi, sweetheart," he leaned down to kiss the top of my head. "How was Physics?"

"Awful as usual." I huffed.

Edward laughed. "Ready for an hour and a half of gym?" Because gym classes are Freshman/ Sophomore and Junior/ Senior, Edward and I were in the same gym class.

I groaned. "Ugh, no! These block days are going to be the death of me."

Instead of having all eight classes every day, two days out of the week we have only half of our classes but for longer periods of time. Every Wednesday we have classes one, three, five, and seven and every Thursday we have classes two, four, six, and eight. It's good for the science classes when they do experiments, but for every other class its pure torture. Especially gym.

I grimaced. "And were starting softball today!" I had zero hand-eye coordination.

We stopped when we reached the girls' locker room. "Don't worry, you'll be fine." Edward smiled crookedly.

"Promise me you won't even think about passing me the ball."

Edward chuckled and pulled me close. "I don't know, love, you'll have to make it up to me this weekend…"

I pretended to think. "No can do, buddy. I have a date with my sexy, sweet boyfriend on Saturday. It's our one year anniversary, you know." Our real anniversary was on Friday, but Edward has a game that night so we're celebrating it on Saturday.

Edward smirked. "He's an idiot to be taking you out places. If I had a girl like you, I'd keep you in my bed the whole night." He whispered in my ear before kissing my neck.

Once I regained the ability to form words, I chuckled and gave him a little shove in the direction of the boys' locker room. "Go change! I'll see you in a few."

He smirked and turned on his heel and disappeared inside the boys' locker room.

I walked into the girls' locker room and avoided the stares I could feel on me as I made my way to my locker. I'd always been stared at wherever I went ever since I was little. I was the police Chief's daughter. Of course, once I started dating Edward, a senior, the star football player, and the best looking guy in school, some of the stares from the girls in my school turned from curious to downright hateful.

I saw Alice sitting on the bench in front of our lockers, changed and ready to go. "Hey, Ali." I smiled at her as I opened my locker and started changing.

Alice started chattering away about our weekend plans. We were apparently going shopping on Saturday for... something… I zoned out near the end and catch the end of her rant. As I pulled my t-shirt over my head I heard someone whisper my name.

"Did you see Isabella and Edward just now in the hallway?"

Alice must have heard it too because she stopped talking and looked around for the body attached to the voice. She stood up next to me and pointed to the other end of the room. "Victoria." She whispered.

My fists clenched at my sides involuntarily at the sound of her name. Victoria Charles was in the same grade as Alice and I. She was Miss Popular, head cheerleader and everyone loved her. Well except me and Alice anyways. She was constantly trying to steal Edward away from me. The little bitch.

"I mean, I don't know what he sees in her anyways." She flipped her long red hair over her shoulder. "She's so… plain. I bet she doesn't even let him get to second base." She let out a high pitched, very unattractive laugh.

I actually had to hold Alice back from going over there. "C'mon Alice," I pulled her towards the door to the gym. "Just forget about it."

As we passed Victoria, Alice deliberately bumped into her. "Sorry." Alice sneered. I couldn't help the bubbled of laughter that escaped my throat.

For the first half of class we either had the option of walking or running the track or playing a game of touch football. Needless to say, for forty-five minutes Alice and I walked two miles around the track while talking about our road trip next weekend. Emmett and Edward were coming with Alice and me to the Cape for the day on Saturday. We were going apple picking or some shit like that.

Coach Clapp blew his whistle, signaling that the first half of class was over and it was time to start a game of softball. Fortunately, Alice, Edward, and I were on the same team. Whenever it was our turn in the field, Alice and I stood in the outfield and "waited" for someone to hit a ball towards us. We had Edward stand somewhere in front of us just in case a ball actually came this way.

Actually I discovered that I wasn't that bad at softball. Except for the whole catching the ball part. But I was surprisingly good at hitting. It was all about keeping your eye on the ball or something. When I made my first score, Edward gave me a small kiss in congratulations when he thought Coach Clapp wasn't looking.

"Cullen!" Coach Clapp yelled from over by home plate. "No kissing your girlfriend in class."

Edward smirked impishly. He knew that his coach wouldn't punish his starting quarterback. "Sorry, Coach."

Finally, the final bell rang at two-thirty and I ran out of AP History class. I weaved my way through the swarms of people until I reached my locker. I took out my notebooks and books I would need for homework and put them in my backpack. I walked out the back entrance of school to the student parking lot and made my way to where Edward parked this morning.

"Baby B!"

I turned around just in time to be lifted off my feet and hauled over my brother's shoulder. "Emmett!" I shrieked.

"Relax, Bells, I'll get you to the car. You just rest those pretty feet." His laughter echoed throughout the parking lot and I heard people snicker as we passed them.

Emmett came to a stop a minute later and set me gently on my feet. I huffed and pulled down my shirt that had ridden up as Emmett carried me across the parking lot. "What are you a fucking caveman now?" I glared at Emmett and punched his shoulder which only made my hand hurt.

I turned around to see Edward and Alice laughing their asses off. I glared at both of them and rolled my eyes. "Can we go now, or are you all gonna stand there?" I growled.

The three of them were still chuckling when we slid in the car. "Our house or your house?" Edward asked us as he pulled on to the main road and took my hand in his own.

"Ours!" Alice chirped from the backseat. "Bella and I will do our homework while you two are at practice."

After two hours of homework and a nice dinner with the Cullens, Emmett and I walked back down to our house. After chatting with Mom and Dad, we all retired to bed.

* * *

><p>"Woo! Go Edward!" Alice cheered as she jumped up and down.<p>

We were sitting on the bleachers at the football field watching our brothers' football game. Both of us were dressed as warmly as humanly possible. It was nearly thirty degrees out and the wind chill was even lower. Alice was dressed in jeans, sheepskin boots, a long sleeved shirt, a wool coat, and gloves and I was dressed in sweatpants with leggings underneath, a long sleeved t-shirt, sheepskin boots, a twill coat, and gloves. I had a hat on my head to shield my ears from the wind and I tucked my sweatpants into my boots to keep the chill off my legs. My god, it was fucking cold.

Our team is winning seventeen to ten with three minutes left on the clock. Since our team has the ball, Edward and Emmett were on the field. Emmett is an offensive guard. His job is to protect Edward so he can throw the ball to score a touchdown.

Edward's been sacked twice already tonight and he looks a little worse for wear. It makes me cringe every time he goes down and I feel the urge to run out onto the field and make sure he's okay myself. If I feel this on edge and worried watching him get hit, I can't imagine how Esme feels.

Finally, after what seemed like the longest ten minutes ever, the ref blew his whistle, signaling the end of the game. We end up winning twenty-four to ten. I could see Edward's wide grin from the stands when he pulled his helmet off. His normally wild red-brown hair was wet with sweat and plastered to his head. He ran his hand through it making it stick up in all directions.

Edward caught my eye, grinned crookedly at me, and motioned for me to join him on the field. I told Alice I'd meet her at the car before jumping down the bleachers. When I reached Edward, he pulled me in for a hug. With all the padding he had on he seemed so much taller than normal. He kissed me deeply and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Happy anniversary, again."

My irrational and obvious blush flooded my cheeks. "Happy anniversary to you, too. Good game." I stood on my tip toes to kiss his cheek. "I'm so excited for our date tomorrow." I chuckled. "Are you going to tell me where you're taking me for dinner?"

Edward smirked. "And take away all my fun? I don't think so."

"Edward!" I whined. "You know I hate surprises."

He laughed and pulled me into his side as he led me off the field. "Do you think your parents would let us get a hotel room tomorrow night?" Edward asked me quietly, devious smirk in place on his beautiful face.

I laughed. "Probably not, unless you want to be shot." His face dropped comically fast. "But I'll ask Renee tonight. She surprises me all the time."

I wound my arm around his waist to give him a small squeeze and he winced at my touch. "Are you okay, baby?" I pulled him to a stop. "You went down hard a few times, are you sure you're not hurt?"

"I'm fine."

I threw him an incredulous look that basically said "Don't you lie to me, Edward".

"Okay, okay!" He sighed. "My back is a little sore."

I spun him around and lifted up the back of his shirt and jersey while trying not to look at his delicious ass right in front of me. He had a big black and blue bruise on the small of his back that made him wince when I touched it lightly.

I whistled and spun him back around. "You've got a nasty bruise there, baby. You should put some ice or heat or both on there tonight." I crooked my finger at him, signaling him to come closer. "Make sure you take it easy sweetheart, because one way or the other, I need you rested and strong for tomorrow night." I added suggestively. I turned my head to kiss his jaw before he pulled back.

"Jeez, Bella," He groaned and raked his hand through his hair. "I'm going to go change before I jump you." He bent down to kiss me again. "See you tomorrow, sweetheart. I'll pick you up at seven."

I watched him walk to the locker room before meeting Alice out in the parking lot. I pulled up in front of her house to drop her off before heading home. "Be ready at noon tomorrow morning." She said as she got out.

"Ready for what, Alice?" I was genuinely confused.

"Bella! Do you ever listen to a word I say?" Alice sighed and rolled her eyes. "We're going shopping for an outfit for your date tomorrow. And we have an appointment at the salon for four-thirty."

I groaned and banged my head on the steering wheel. "Fine, Alice." I assented. There was no use arguing with her. "I'll see you at noon."

I pulled my truck into our drive way, making sure Emmett could fit his Jeep behind me when he got home from the game sometime tonight.

"I'm home, Mom!" I yelled once I'd gotten through the door. I shed my coat and hung it up in the closet before wandering around the first floor looking for Renee.

I found her in the living room. She was giving herself a spa treatment – a pedicure and a facial – while watching Pretty Woman. She does this every time Charlie has the night shift. "Hi, sweetie, how was the game?"

"Good." I flopped down on the couch beside her. "We won twenty-four to ten. Edward was fantastic." I smiled.

"That's great, Bella." she patted my knee. "Are you excited for tomorrow night?" she winked suggestively.

"Yeah, I am." I grinned. "It's going to be a great night, even though Edward won't tell me where he's taking me."

"I can't believe it's been a year already!" Renee gushed. "It feels like just yesterday that you came home screeching that Edward asked you out."

I giggled. "I know!" I turned serious and looked down at my hands, preparing myself for a really embarrassing conversation with my mom. "Uh, I think I know the answer but can I ask you something, Mom?"

"Of course, sweetie."

"Uh…" I didn't know how word my question.

"Spit it out, Bella." Renee rolled her eyes. "The worst that can happen is that I say no."

"Okay," I took a deep breath. "Would you let me stay in a hotel with Edward tomorrow night?" I asked her in a voice so quiet I'm surprised she heard me.

There was a minute of silence and I refused to look up at Renee's face.

"Sure."

My head snapped up. "I'm sorry; I don't think I heard you right. Did you just say 'Sure'?"

Renee laughed. "Yes, I did. You're of legal consenting age, it's not a school night, and I trust both of you. Besides, even if didn't allow it, you two would find a way to do it anyways." She winked.

I blushed and ducked my head, still reeling that she's letting me stay in a hotel alone and unsupervised with Edward all night.

"Oh gosh!" Renee gasped and grabbed my hands, making me look up at her in surprise. "It's not your first time, is it?"

"God no," I snorted.

Renee sighed. "Oh good." She started turned back to her bottle of nail polish but did a double take and stared at me with an open mouth. "Since when?" she shrieked.

I blushed and started playing with my fingers again. "About seven months ago…"

"Bella!" Renee gasped. "Why didn't you tell me?" despite her teasing tone, I saw a little hurt in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mom." I patted her shoulder. "It was really special to me so I guess I just wanted to keep it to myself."

"Okay, sweetie, I understand."

I sighed and gave my mom a hug. "I'm going to bed, Mom, big day tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Bella, love you."

"Love you, too, Mom."

Before I got into bed, I sent Edward a txt message. **I hope you still have that room booked, baby. Make sure Alice's packs you an overnight bag. :) **

* * *

><p>"I think that's a bit more leather and spandex I want to wear in public, Alice." I threw the tiny dress back over the dressing room door and heard it fall to the floor with a splat.<p>

Alice and I were currently in the dressing room at Nordstrom. Alice was picking out dresses and was throwing them over the dressing room door for me to try them on.

"Okay, I think I found the perfect one." I heard Alice say as I felt something fall on my head.

The first thing I noticed about the dress I pulled off my head was that it was cobalt blue. It looked a little small but took Alice's word for it and tried it on. When I turned back the mirror I gasped. I flew out of the dressing room and pulled Alice in a tight hug.

"Thank you, thank you!" I squealed. "It's perfect!"

The bright blue color of the dress made my normally boring pale skin look translucent. The material was stiffer than cotton and hugged every inch of my curves. It ended mid-thigh with one inch straps on my shoulders and the scooped neckline provided just the right amount of cleavage.

"Wow…" Alice was in shock. "You look fantastic! I don't even think you looked this good when Edward took you to prom last year. I've outdone myself!"

"You're a genius, Alice." I stared in the full length mirror and spun in a circle. "Its little more revealing than I would usually go for, but I guess I'm feeling bold today!" I giggled.

Alice laughed. "We do, however, have one problem."

I spun to face her. "What is it?"

She turned me back around and slapped my ass. "Panty lines, Bells. And since you wouldn't buy that thong the last time we went shopping, we have to get you one today. Right after the shoe department."

At seven o'clock on the dot, the doorbell rang. I stood up from where I'd been sitting on the couch with Alice and walked surprisingly steady on my new stilettos to the front hall where Charlie was answering the door.

Edward greeted Charlie before stepping inside. He said hello to Renee who had just descended the stairs to see me off before his eyes found mine. He looked me up and down, his eyes as wide as saucers. I heard Alice snicker behind me.

"Wow…" Edward seemed to be at a loss for words. "Bella, you look incredible." I felt my cheeks go red and he stepped towards me and pulled me into his arms. "You look unbelievably sexy, love. I cannot wait for later tonight." he whispered in my ear.

I said goodbye to Charlie, Renee, and Alice and yelled a goodbye up the stairs to Emmett as Edward helped me into my coat. I picked up my bag for the night from beside the door and was about to leave when Charlie stopped me.

"Where do you think you're going with an overnight bag, Bella?" he eyed me sternly.

Before I could come up with some lame excuse, Alice piped up. "Relax, Chief, Bella is spending the night with me after they get home from their date."

I mentally thanked Alice and slipped out the door with Edward right behind me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and led me over to his car.

"So where are we staying tonight?" I asked him once we were both inside the car and on our way into Boston.

Edward grinned. "I booked us a room at the Park Plaza Hotel."

I gaped at him. "Wow that must be one of the most expensive hotels in the city, Edward!"

"Only the best for my Bella." He brought my hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss to my knuckles.

Edward pulled the car into a parking garage and found a parking space on the second level. He ran around to my side and helped me out. I learned long ago to never open my own car door when Edward was around. He only got fussy when he couldn't do it himself.

We started walking down the street and only then did I notice where we were. "The North End?"

Edward shrugged and looked a little nervous. "Yeah, I know that Italian is your favorite, but if you want to go somewhere else we can –"

I pulled his head down to mine for a long kiss. "It's perfect." I smiled against his lips.

Edward led me to a little Italian restaurant that looked to be a little fancier than the others. We stepped inside and Edward gave the hostess his name. She led us to small table in the back of the restaurant and handed us our menus. I noticed as we passed that all of the tables had lit candles and roses on them. And every table was occupied by a couple. It looked like Valentine's Day in there.

Edward pulled my chair out for me and sat down beside me. When our waitress brought us our drinks, Edward held his Coke up. "I'd like to propose a toast," I dropped the roll I was snacking on and held up my glass of water. "To our first of many years together. Happy anniversary, my love."

"Oh, Edward," I breathed as he clinked our glasses together. "I love you so much."

Edward rested his forehead against mine and breathed deeply. "I love you, Isabella."

Our dinner was fantastic. The food was delicious, the conversation was great, and the company was even better. Edward paid the bill, looped my arm in his, and we walked out into the chilly November air together.

"Edward!" A sickeningly familiar voice screeched.

Edward and I spun around to see Victoria Charles running down the street towards us with another boy in my grade, Tyler Crowley, following closely behind her. Edward and I groaned simultaneously and I heard Edward mumble "Un-fucking-believable."

When Victoria finally reached us, she flipped her red hair behind her shoulder flirtatiously, smacking Tyler in the face with her long locks. She let her eyes fall on me. "Isabella." She sneered.

"Victoria." I replied curtly.

Victoria seemed a little shocked at first since I've never used that tone with her, but her bitchy face snapped back in place. She turned back to Edward and batted her eyes shamelessly. "So, what brings you here tonight?" she purred in what she must have thought was a seductive voice. In reality, it just sound like she was trying to talk like a man.

"Bella and I are celebrating our one year anniversary." Edward replied tersely.

"Congratulations, guys!" Tyler said with a good natured smile. He seemed like a nice guy. Too bad he was with Victoria.

Victoria shot him a death glare. "Yeah, congratulations." Victoria's eyes flitted to mine for a brief moment. "Well, Tyler and I were headed to this club downtown. Do you wanna join us?" she smirked, running her hand along Edward's arms.

That's it! I'm done dealing with her shit. I slapped her hand away from Edward and glared daggers at her. She looked like she was about to slap me across the face when Edward spoke up.

"Oh, we certainly don't want to join you." Edward chuckled. "In fact, every second we spend here with you, is a second that's detracting from the time that I have to worship every inch of my gorgeous girlfriend's body." Edward's arm slipped from mine and came to rest low on my back. "Come, love, let's get you to that hotel."

Edward led me away from a stunned Victoria and an impressed Tyler. I couldn't contain my laughter as we walked to the car.

A half an hour later, we'd checked into the hotel without incident and were now in our amazing room. The room was stylishly decorated in gold and deep red. There was a mini bar, a huge flat screen TV, a giant king-sized bed, and an expansive bathroom, which is exactly where I found myself, in the bathroom, trying to decide if I should actually wear this… negligee thing… Alice made me buy.

In the end, I decided to just slip out of my dress and put on my short silk bathrobe. I tied the ties as I walked out of the bathroom and found Edward sitting shirtless on the edge of the bed with his back to me. The lights had been turned off and candles now provided a soft glow to the room. My heart tugged at his sweet gesture.

I crawled across the bed and wrapped my legs loosely around his waist. I laid my cheek between his shoulder blades and pressed a kiss to his back. When he didn't react to my touch, I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a little squeeze. "Hey, what's got you thinking so hard?" I whispered.

Edward turned his head so I could see his profile. "Nothing at all, sweetheart." He smiled and covered my hands with his own larger ones.

He let go of my hands and spun around so he was kneeling between my legs on the edge of the bed. I reclined backwards and he followed, stretching his much longer body over mine. He planted one elbow on each side of my head and kissed my nose tenderly. "Have I ever told you how much I love you, Bella?" he whispered.

I chuckled. "No, I don't believe you have." I teased. I leaned up to kiss his lips gently. "Show me." I whispered in his ear before nipping at his ear lobe.

Edward growled playfully and had no trouble adhering to my request.

* * *

><p>"Oh God… baby, yes."<p>

"Ughn, Edward… almost…"

"Yes… Bella!"

RING RING RING

The sound of the ringing hotel phone sounded out loudly through the darkened room. The candles had long since burned out and the hotel room was left in darkness, the only lights radiating in from the street lights outside.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Edward grumbled from underneath me but made no move to answer it.

I sighed and leaned over the short distance to the bedside table to answer the phone. "Hullo?" My voice sounded deep and raspy.

"Bella? Is that you?"

I cleared my throat to try to sound normal, but to no avail. "Mom? What's wrong?"

Renee laughed. "Nothing's wrong, dear, I was just calling to see how you evening was." There was a subtle hint of mischief in her voice.

"It's one AM, Mom. You think this could have waited until morning?" When I'd leaned forward to read the clock, I'd noticed that I was still sitting on Edward's… lap. I smirked down at him and started moving my hips against his again.

Edward's eyes rolled up in his head and turned his head to the pillow next to him to muffle his moan.

I could almost hear Renee roll her eyes. "How was the date, Bella?"

"Oh, it was great." I grinned at Edward's attempts to keep from crying out. "We went to a little Italian place in the North End. Then we drove over to the hotel and then you woke us up, calling at one AM." I skirted around the mind blowing sex we had and were currently having.

"Oh, really?" Renee sounded incredulous. "That's all you did, dinner then sleep?"

"I'm so not talking to you about this now."

When I started to move my hips faster, Edward moaned. "You're playing with fire, little girl." He smirked mischievously and shifted, all of a sudden he was hitting me in exactly the right spot causing me gasp and moan quietly.

"Bella?" My mom's voice squawked through the receiver. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I said dazedly. "I have to go now, Mom. I'll see you tomorrow." I dropped the receiver, not caring where it landed, and let my head fall back. "Oh God, Edward. Baby, don't stop!"

* * *

><p>Edward pulled his car to a stop outside my house. He turned to me and pulled me in for a long kiss. "Thanks for an amazing night, Edward. It really was a great anniversary." I rested my forehead against his and kissed the tip of his nose.<p>

"You're welcome, sweetheart. It really was amazing." Edward grinned. "I'll call you after practice. I love you."

"Love you, too." I smiled as I got out of the car.

I walked up the path to the house and pushed the door open. "Mom? Dad?" I called and dropped my bag beside the door. "I'm home!"

"Hey, Bells." Charlie called from the living room. I walked into the room and greeted my dad. "How was your night?"

"It was great, a great anniversary." I smiled at the memory.

Charlie eyed me speculatively. "And the sleepover with Alice?"

"Good. She painted my nails." I stuck out my newly painted fingers. I had Edward help me paint my fingernails this morning under the pretense that Alice had done it during our 'sleepover'.

"Good." Charlie mumbled. "Mom's upstairs if you want to say hi."

I picked my overnight bag up off the floor and headed up the stairs. I stopped in the doorway of my parent's room and knocked on the frame to get Renee's attention. "Hey, Mom."

She looked up from her computer and smirked. "How was your evening, Bella?"

"Well besides your call in the middle of the night it was great." I scowled at her.

Renee looked like she was hiding a smile. "Well it certainly sounded fun…" suddenly she couldn't hold it in anymore and cracked up.

Okay, clearly I was missing some kind of joke here. "What's so funny, Mom?"

"Well, Bella, after you said goodbye on the phone last night, you never hung up. You must have dropped the phone because there was a loud thump then… well I'm sure you remember what happened next!" Renee said in between laughs.

Oh. My. God. No, this isn't happening. My mom heard me having sex with my boyfriend. I felt my cheeks grow impossibly red and my mouth dropped open. "What?"

"Of course I hung up quickly," Renee continued. "That is not something I want to hear."

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god!" I dropped my bag and covered my face with my hands. "Please tell me you're joking." I said desperately, not making eye contact.

"Sorry, sweetie," Renee shook her head. "It happened." She looked thoughtful. "I believe your exact words were 'Oh God, Edward. Baby, don't stop!' if I remember correctly."

I slumped against the doorframe and slid to the floor. "I can't believe my mom heard me having sex…" I mumbled mostly to myself.

Renee laughed. "For what it's worth, it sounded like it was worth it."

"Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick…" I groaned and clutched my stomach.

"Don't be silly, Bella!" Renee trilled. "There's no need to be embarrassed." She smiled and patted the spot on the bed beside her. "Come sit. I want to hear every detail about your date."

I smiled weakly and went to sit next to her. I really did want to tell my mom all about it. We used to talk about anything and everything and now we don't do it as much. "Where should I start?"

"Where did he take you?"

I smile and squeezed my mom's hand. "He took me to this little Italian restaurant in the North End. It was so romantic! All the tables had a bowl of water with these little tea lights and roses floating in it. Then, after dinner, we were walking back to his car when we ran into Victoria."

Her brow furrowed with interest. "That's the mean girl in your grade, right? The one that is always going after Edward?"

"Right." I nodded. "She was with this other guy in my grade. She was flirting with Edward and touching his arm and invited him to a club downtown. So I slapped her arm away. She looked like she was about to kill me when Edward said 'Oh, we certainly don't want to join you. In fact, every second we spend here with you, is a second that's detracting from the time that I have to worship every inch of my gorgeous girlfriend's body. Come, love, let's get you to that hotel.' It was so hot!" I felt the blush rise in my cheeks at what I'd just admitted to my mom.

"Well Bella," Mom sighed. "I'm so glad you found someone in Edward. I have a feeling you two will be together for a long time."

"Me too, Mom."

* * *

><p>May 25th<p>

BPOV

Somewhere around two AM, I woke to the sound of a loud car alarm beeping on the street outside the dorm. I looked over to Edward to see if he woke up too. No, of course he didn't. I guess he was just used to the city noises.

I decided to wait until someone shut the alarm off before falling back asleep. I threw on my underwear and one of Edward's t-shirts that are big on me, and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water and maybe a midnight snack.

Just as I was finishing the crispy toast I just made, a key turned in the lock and the dorm door opened.

Emmett strode casually in, closed the door behind him, and tossed his keys on the coffee table. He turned and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw me sitting at his kitchen table.

"Jeez, Bella, you scared the fuck out of me!" he clutched his chest overdramatically.

I threw him an incredulous look. "Hello, to you too, brother of mine." I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Why are you just getting home at two AM?" I questioned with a smirk.

Emmett crossed to the fridge and pulled out a beer. "Never mind that. What are you doing here?" He popped the top and sat in the chair opposite me.

"What do you think I'm doing here?" I glared at him.

Emmett grimaced. "I hope you're sleeping on the couch because you didn't want to drive home late at night."

I scoffed. "If you think I'm still a virgin, you are seriously dim." I picked up the plate I had my toast on and crossed the kitchen to put it in the sink.

"Jeez, Baby B," Emmett covered his eyes. "Put more clothes on when you're in a public place."

I laughed quietly. "I thought you were asleep in your room."

"So, where did you tell Mom and Dad you were sleeping tonight?" He drained the rest of his beer. He set the empty bottle in the sink and leaned against the counter next to me.

"Here."

He stared at me with wide eyes. "You told Mom and Dad you were sleeping here?" he sounded… impressed?

"Yeah…" I nodded. "I'm out of school and graduation is next weekend. And I'm eighteen and they can't tell me what to do anymore." I smirked up at him, both of us realizing I sounded like a petulant child.

"Still…" Emmett whistled. "I can't imagine you basically telling our parents that you and Edward would be sleeping together tonight."

I grimaced. "Yeah, that was an interesting conversation…"

_~Five hours ago~_

_Just as Edward and I stumbled into his dorm room after dinner, kissing and groping desperately, my cell phone rang. Edward groaned and flopped back on the couch while I fumbled with my phone._

"_Hello?"_

"_Hi, sweetie!" _

_I groaned silently. "Hi, Mom. What's up?"_

"_I just wanted to make sure you have your key. Dad and are headed to bed."_

"_Uh, yeah, about that, Mom," I shuffled nervously. "I'm not coming home tonight. I was going to call you in a bit so you wouldn't worry."_

_There was silence on the other end of the line before I heard Renee laugh. "Okay, you two have fun. But be careful, dear. Use protection."_

_I heard Charlie shout "What?" on the other end at the same time I yelled "Mom!"_

_Renee cracked. "See you tomorrow, Bella!" _

_I hung up and stared at my phone in utter disbelief._

"Anyway," Emmett scrubbed his hands over his face. "I'm going to bed. I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning, Bells." He kissed my cheek before disappearing into his room and shutting the door behind him.

I walked back down the hallway and into Edward's room. Sometime during my conversation with Emmett, someone had shut off the car alarm. I pulled the clothes I had on off and slipped back under the covers. I snuggled into Edward's side and felt him wrap his arms around me.

"Where'd you go?" He said sleepily.

I kissed his shoulder. "The car alarm woke me up so I decided to get a snack. I scared the shit out of Emmett." I snickered quietly.

Edward chuckled slowly. "Love you, baby."

"Love you, too, Edward."

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><p><strong>AN: **So how did you like the flashback?

Thanks for reading! See you tomorrow with a little time jump. Only 3 or 4 chapters left!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

Thanks so much for your positive reviews on the flashback! I have to say, it was really fun to write.

This chapter is basically a few snippets of what their lives are like before we take a big time jump next chapter. We're talking like a 10+ years time jump.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

BPOV

"What the hell possessed us to agree to this?" I grumbled as Edward opened the car door for me.

Alice had coerced us into agreeing to go to our fifth high school reunion. Edward's reunion was last year but he opted out of going since we'd only been married for two months and I was still dealing with the whole morning sickness coming at all hours of the day thing.

"I don't know, love. I think Alice was just trying to get us out of the house." Edward scowled as he took my hand and we started towards the gym. For some reason, the organizers thought it was a good idea to have the opening dinner in the gym. Idiots.

As we stood in line to check in, I fiddled with my dress, thanking god that I'd already lost the majority of my baby weight.

"You look beautiful, love." Edward whispered in my ear, as if he knew what I was thinking.

"Do you think it would be bad if we called them?" I asked Edward.

"Yes!" Alice and Jasper came up behind Edward and I. "Don't worry, Bells. She's safe with Emmett and Rose."

"I know, I know," I laid my head on Edward's arm. "I just miss her so much."

"Me too, love." Edward whispered and kissed my temple.

We'd left Vanessa at home with Emmett and Rose tonight. Our Ness turned six months old yesterday. I can't believe how fast she's growing. Tonight is the first time Edward and I are away from her at the same time. I can't imagine us staying longer than an hour before rushing home to Ness.

"Come on guys!" Alice beamed. "It'll be great."

"Whatever you say, Alice…" I grumbled as Edward and I stepped up the table to check in.

The woman who was manning the table was looking down at a clipboard. Her curly brown hair was hanging down around her face so I couldn't tell who it was. "Name?"

"Bella Cullen. Well, I guess your list would say Isabella Swan."

The woman's head snapped up and I recognized her. "Bella?"

"Jessica?" It certainly looked like her only a little rounder on the edges.

She stood up and pulled me in for a hug. "It's so good to see you!" She squealed.

I turned my head and mouthed "help!" to Edward who tried to cover his laugh with a cough.

"Oh, Edward!" Jessica said as she released me and pulled him in for a hug. Now I was the one trying to cover my laughter. "Wow," Jessica gushed. "You two look so grown up!"

Edward and I glanced at each other. I didn't think we looked that different. "Uh, thanks? I guess parenthood will do that to you."

Jessica laughed. "Well anyways, you're all signed in. I guess I'll talk to you guys later."

We waited for Alice and Jasper before the four of us walked into the gym together. Everything was decorated in the school's colors, blue and red. The tables, the plates, the centerpieces, the decorations, everything was blue and red. There was a banner at the other end of the gym, where a make-shift stage had been set up, that read Go Warriors, our school mascot.

We quickly found an empty table and sat down. We purposefully arrived late so we wouldn't be the first ones there, but now everyone was staring at our table. "Ah, the good old days…" I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice. Edward snickered beside me and pressed a kiss to my hair.

"Yeah, this is really weird." Jasper commented, looking around. "Why is everyone staring at us?"

"Oh, Edward and Bella were the celebrity couple of Brookline High." Alice giggled. "They were like our own Brad and Angelina."

I rolled my eyes and lifted Edward's arm to look at his watch. "Oh, its seven o'clock. I'm going to call Emmett and Rose to say good night to Ness." I dug my phone out of my purse and dialed our home phone. Yes, I do realize that calling to talk to a six month who can't answer back does sound crazy.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Em."

Emmett chuckled. "You've barely been gone for an hour, Bells. What could possibly be wrong?"

"Wait until you have kids, jackass. Then you'll understand. I just called to say goodnight to Ness before she went down for the night."

Emmett sighed. "Okay, here's Rose."

There was minute of rustling and then Rose's voice. "Hey, Bells."

"Hey, Rose, can you put Ness on?"

"Sure." At least she didn't make fun of me. "You're on speaker." Rose's voice sounded farther away now.

"Hi, Vanessa, it's Mommy." I said to my baby girl. "Goodnight, sweetheart, I love you. Daddy and I will be there when you wake up." I noticed the gym was filling up more and more. "We'll be home no later than ten." I added to Rose.

I hung up with Rose and turned back to Edward. "We're leaving the second dinner is over."

"Definitely." Edward chuckled.

"Bella? Alice?"

Alice and I whirled around at the sound of our names to see none other than Angela Webber making her way to our table.

"Angela!" Alice and I said at the same time and ran over to her. We pulled her in for a group hug.

"Oh my God, Ang, how are you?" Alice gushed.

"I'm great!" Angela grinned. "I'm married now. This is my husband Ben Cheney." She gesture the blond man next to her.

We introduced ourselves to Ben and shook his hand. "Sit with us?" I offered, gesturing to our table.

Edward greeted Angela when we reached our table and Alice introduced her to Jasper. "So," Angela said as she took the seat next to me. "Bella Swan, how are you?" she asked me as Edward and Jasper struck up a conversation with Ben.

"Really great, it's Cullen now actually." I beamed at her. "Edward and I got married last April and –" My phone rang interrupting my conversation with Angela. I saw it was Emmett so I apologized to Angela and took the call.

"So, how exactly do we get her to go to sleep…?" Emmett asked when I answered the phone.

I sighed and rested my face in my hand. "Try rocking her slowly or feeding her again and if that doesn't work –"

Edward tapped my shoulder and held his hand out for the phone. "Sing to her, Em. It always works for me." A scowl appeared on Edward's face. "Don't even think about giving my daughter sleeping pills, Emmett."

I snatched the phone back from Edward. "Emmett Swan, don't you dare give Ness sleeping pills. It could kill her!"

"I know, I know, Bells." It sounded like he was rolling his eyes. "I'm not stupid. I'll see you guys later." And with that he hung up.

I shook my head and turned back to Angela. "Sorry about that. A word of advice, never let your idiot brother babysit."

Angela giggled. "So a baby…" she smiled. "How old is she?"

"Six months," I pulled up a picture of Ness on my phone and showed it to her. "Her name's Vanessa."

"She's adorable!" Angela squealed.

"Yeah, she's the spitting image of Edward. Let's just hope she doesn't inherit my ability to trip over thin air."

After a lovely dinner with Angela and Ben, I excused myself to the bathroom. When I was washing my hands, I heard a horribly familiar voice.

"Well, well, well, I was hoping you'd show up, Isabella Swan."

I looked in the mirror to see none other than Victoria Charles and Lauren Mallory standing behind me. I rolled my eyes. "Don't you think cornering me in the bathroom is a little juvenile, ladies?" I took some paper towels and dried my hands. "And its Cullen now, not Swan."

A look of shock crossed over Victoria's face before her usual snotty look fell back in place. "How've you been, _Isabella_?" Victoria said, stressing my full name.

I had no idea where she was going with this. "I've been great. I have a great family, a fantastic husband, and a healthy, beautiful baby girl. Life couldn't be better." I leaned against the sink and crossed my arms across my chest. "How about you, Victoria?"

"I've been fine." She snapped.

I straightened up. "Well, great if this little chat is over, I'm just going to rejoin my friends."

Before I could leave her bony, little hand grabbed the top of my arm. "Where do you think you're going, bitch?" she spat.

I twisted my arm out of her grasp. "I thought you might be a little more mature now, but clearly I was wrong. I've grown up, Victoria. I'm a wife and a mom. I don't get in fights with nobodies from my past in bathrooms. Can you even give me and honest, good reason for hating me so much?"

"You stole Edward from me." She hissed.

I actually laughed out loud at that one. "Please, he was never yours. Grow up, Victoria."

I swiftly left the bathroom and joined my husband at our table with a smile on my face. "Let's get out of here." I murmured to him. "I could use some Ness cuddles."

Edward nodded and stood. We said a quick goodbye to everyone and left the gym with a promise to Angela that I'd call her later in the week. We got into the Volvo and sped off towards home and to our baby girl.

* * *

><p>I watched Bella juggle our eight-month old baby girl for a minute before I went to rescue her. Bella was setting the table for lunch while she held Ness in her arms and sang to her. Bella loves to sing, and is actually very good, but not in front of people. She sings in the kitchen, the shower, and to Ness.<p>

I stepped up behind Bella and scooped Ness out of her arms so she wouldn't drop the silverware she was carrying. We were having everyone over our house for lunch today. The girls had no idea why. I, however, knew Jasper had something planned for Alice. Although I didn't know for sure, I could venture a guess at what he had planned.

"Thanks, honey," Bella said with her back to me.

I kissed the top of her head. "No problem, baby,"

I continued into the living room with Ness in my arms to sit on the couch. I sat Ness on my lap and looked into her big, happy emerald eyes. "Hi, sweet girl," I kissed her forehead and smiled at her.

She smiled back at me and reached out to grab my face. "Da-da!" she shrieked happily.

I laughed. "That's right, sweetheart!"

When the doorbell rang a few minutes later, Ness was giggling hysterically as I tickled her. I scooped her up and called to Bella. "We got it!" I pulled the door open and was almost knocked over by my tiny, and apparently very excited, sister. Jasper, Emmett, and Rose were walking towards the steps, chuckling. It looks as if Alice sprinted from the car.

"Oh my God, Edward, let me hold Ness!" She held her arms out for Ness with a huge smile on her face.

I rolled my eyes. "Hi, Edward, how are you? Oh, I'm pretty good, dear sister, why don't you come in?" I deadpanned.

Alice giggled and she stepped inside. The other three filed inside behind her and also fussed over Ness. I was telling them about Ness almost first steps yesterday, when Bella came out of the kitchen to greet everyone.

"Hi, guys!" She said brightly as she wiped her hands on a dish towel. She gave Jasper and Emmett kisses on the cheek and Alice and Rose hugs before stepping to my side and placing her small hand on my back. "So now that we're all together, will you boys tell us why we're having this lunch?" she eyed me suspiciously. She'd been trying to get it out of me all week.

"Nope." Emmett, Jasper, and I said at the same time, earning glares from our women.

Ness giggled and clapped her hands together. "Da-da!" she said happily as she patted the top of my head.

Everyone laughed. "That's right, Nessa," Bella poked Ness' nose softly. "Daddy thinks he's funny."

I kissed Bella's cheek. "I'm very funny." I grinned at her. "Ness agrees with me. Don't you Ness?" I tickled her stomach with my free hand.

Ness giggled. "Da-da!" she patted my hair again.

After Bella and I put Ness down for her nap, the six of us sat down to eat. Nothing exciting happened and no announcements were made over Bella's fantastic lasagna. After we cleared all the plates, we moved to the living room, each with a coffee cup in hand. Just as Jasper opened his mouth to say something, Ness started crying from her room upstairs.

"I'll get her." Bella said before she gave me a quick peck and headed upstairs.

When Bella returned a few minutes later, Ness was bouncing happily in her arms. "She's hungry," Bella smirked. "Again."

I chuckled. "I'll get her a bottle." I offered as I stood. I took a bottle out of the fridge and warmed it in the microwave before rejoining the others in the living room. I sat on the couch next to Bella and held my arms out for Ness.

I glanced around the room at the others as I fed Ness. Emmett's arm was around Rose while she rested her head on his shoulder and played with the buttons on his shirt. Jasper was sitting up stick straight and looked tense and nervous. Alice and Bella sat with their heads together on the couch next to me, giggling and whispering to one another.

After a minute or two, I felt Ness let go of the bottle and nestled her head on my shoulder. I stroked her soft cheek with my thumb as she drifted off to sleep. I placed the half-empty bottle on the coffee table and looked down at my daughter. She was a beautiful baby, from her curly copper colored hair to her small button nose to her full, red lips.

Emmett laughed loudly at something Rose was saying to him causing Ness to jump in surprise. Her lower lip started to tremble and her eyes filled with tears. Before she could start crying completely, I hugged her tightly. "Don't cry, Ness." I cooed and pressed a kiss to her temple. "You're okay. It was just Uncle Em being silly." I shot a death glare over to Emmett who shrugged and grinned back. Ness sniffled and nuzzled her face in the crook of my neck.

Jasper cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "I know everyone is wondering why we had this lunch today." He stood up and crossed the room to Alice. He took both of her hands in his and pulled her to a standing position. "Alice, when Rose and I moved here to start over, I was looking for someone to fill the space in my heart that no one ever tried to fill." A look of disgust crossed over Jasper's face when he spoke of his parents. I looked over and saw Rose making the exact same face. "And then you came along and literally fell into my lap." Everyone laughed, remembering the day Alice and Jasper met. "I love you so much, Ali, I don't know what I would do without you. So," He let go of her hands and I heard Bella and Rose gasp as he dropped to one knee in front of her and pulled a black ring box out of his pocket. Alice gasped and her right hand flew up to cover her mouth. "I'm asking you in front of our siblings… and niece…" his eyes flitted over to Ness briefly before settling back on Alice's shocked face. "Will you marry me, Alice?"

The words were barely out of Jasper's mouth when Alice launched herself at Jasper with such force that they both toppled to the floor. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Alice squealed. "Of course I'll marry you!"

* * *

><p>My computer screen blinked twice, letting me know the battery was running low. I saved my work and powered off. I looked around the room for my charger but couldn't find in anywhere. After five minutes of fruitless searching, I sat back in my desk chair and closed my eyes…<p>

"Oh no, sweetheart, don't go in Mommy's room! Daddy's working in there."

Bella's voice woke me from my nap just in time. Our bedroom door opened and my sweet little girl skipped inside. She looked around and squealed when she saw me. "Daddy!" She ran across the room and launched herself into my arms, her copper ringlets bounced as she ran.

I laughed and sat her on my lap. "Hi, sweet girl, how was the park with Mommy?" Her sparkling green eyes smiled at me.

Vanessa scowled and crossed her arms across her chest. "Chloe got fussy so Mommy said we had to come home early." At a whopping two years old, Vanessa was just a feisty as her mother.

I smiled gently at her and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry, Nessa girl."

Bella popped her head in our room and sighed when she saw Ness sitting on my lap. When she walked further into the room, I saw that she held our six-month old daughter, Chloe, in her arms. She came over and gave me a small peck.

"I'm sorry, baby," she sighed. "I hope she's not bothering you, she just wanted say hi." She stroked the back of Ness's head with her free hand. "She misses you."

I missed my family too. I was so close to getting my doctorate degree, in fact I was only a few months away. I've been so busy studying and writing papers lately.

I ran a hand through my hair. "No, of course she's not bothering me. My computer just died, actually. I can't find my charger anywhere." Ness slid off my lap and ran over to our bed, clearly bored since the conversation was no longer about her. She climbed up the tall bed and flopped unceremoniously down in the center.

Bella glanced around the room. She walked over to the dresser and held the charger out to me. "Is this what you were looking for?" She quirked her eyebrow at me.

I laughed. "Thanks, sweetheart." I took the cord from her and pulled her in for a kiss. I saw Chloe looking at me with her big brown eyes and held my arms out for her.

"Just for a minute." Bella said as she set Chloe in my outstretched arms. "She needs to be fed, which is not something you can do since she won't take a bottle." Bella rolled her eyes and sauntered over to lie with Ness in our bed.

I held Chloe up to my face and kissed the end of her nose. "Hi, baby girl," I cooed quietly. Chloe was a much quieter baby than Ness was. She hardly ever cried and almost always slept soundly through the night. "Are you hungry, Clo?" Chloe reached out with her tiny hand and gripped the end of my nose. I took that as a yes. "Alright, sweetheart, I'll take you to Mommy."

I laid Chloe in Bella's arms and climbed into bed beside Ness. I scooped her up in my arms and tickled her stomach as she giggled.

As Bella nursed Chloe, Ness cuddled with me on the bed next to them. "Daddy?" Ness sighed.

"Yes, sweet girl?"

"When are you going to be done with school? I want you to come to the park with us."

I kissed the top of her head. "Just a few more months."

"Okay," Ness nodded and disentangled herself from my arms. "I'm gonna go play Barbies." She said as she walked out of our bedroom.

I chuckled and slid closer to Bella. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "Hi, sweetheart," I whispered into her hair.

She tilted her head up to look at me with a lazy smile on her face. "Hi, baby," She gave me a quick peck before turning back to our daughter. "Guess who we ran into at the park. Victoria Charles."

"Really?" I knew that she'd tormented Bella in high school. She just annoyed the shit out of me.

"Yeah," She stroked Chloe's soft hair. "She was sitting on a bench across the park holing a bundle of blankets which could have been a baby. But she was eyeing Nessa strangely so I decided it was time to come home."

"Good call, love." I gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Noticing that Chloe had fallen asleep, Bella pulled her shirt back down and threw a burp cloth over her shoulder. She lifted Chloe slowly and placed her gently face-down on her shoulder so she wouldn't wake up. She patted Chloe's back gently and hummed a quiet, soothing tune. It was moments like these that tugged at my heart. Bella is a fantastic mother, like she was built for it.

"Will you put her in her crib, Edward?" Bella asked me quietly. "I need a little nap." She said through a yawn.

"Of course," I complied. I walked around to the other side of the bed and Bella slowly transferred Chloe to my arms.

I walked quietly and slowly to Chloe's room across the hall, making sure not to wake her. I pushed the door open with my foot and crept into the room that Rose designed for us. It was decorated in shades of green ranging from a mint green to a forest green. Rose proclaimed that all baby girls' rooms did _not_ need to be pink.

I kissed Chloe's forehead and lowered her into her crib. She stretched and yawned before rolling over to lie on her side. I watched her sleep for a minute or two before I decided to go and see if Bella had fallen asleep yet.

I found her curled up in a ball on her side, sleeping peacefully. I smiled and crawled into bed beside my wife and listened to her quiet breathing and the sounds of our daughter playing in the next room.

_Bliss._

* * *

><p>BPOV<p>

I was cleaning the kitchen one morning when my cell phone rang. I accepted the call and pressed it to my ear without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Bella?" Alice's voice sounded frantic. In the background I could hear the sound of a crying baby.

"Alice? What's wrong?"

"I need your help!" she sobbed. "I haven't slept in two days and Luke won't stop crying!"

About a year ago, Alice and Jasper announced that they were expecting their first child. Now, Luke is almost two months old.

"Okay, Alice, take a deep breath. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Since the girls were in daycare today, I grabbed my keys and headed out of the house. I drove over to Alice and Jasper's apartment and let myself in.

Alice was sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. Luke was in his bassinet by the couch. I hurried over to him and held him close to my body. "Hi, Lukey, it's Aunt Bella." I cooed. I rocked him slowly back and forth until he stopped crying and fell asleep.

"How did you do that?" Alice whispered as I lowered Luke gently into the bassinet.

I shrugged and sat down beside her. "I don't know."

"You're such a good mom, Bella." Alice flopped back against the cushions. "I can't do anything right."

"I've had a lot of practice!" I chuckled. "I have a four year old and an almost three year old and another baby on the way." I patted my little bump and smiled. "You'll the hang of it soon, Ali." She didn't say anything so I continued. "You know, when we first had Nessa, it took me a good three months to discern her cries."

"There are different cries?"

I nodded and rubbed my bump absentmindedly. "There's the hungry cry, the sleepy cry, when their diaper needs changing, when they're bored…"

"See!" Alice exclaimed. "I didn't even know these things! I'm a terrible mother."

"Mary Alice Hale, you are not a terrible mother." I scolded. "You are an amazing mother. I promise you that you'll get the hang of it soon. It's only been two months."

"You right, Bella." Alice sighed and nodded. She looked at me and smiled shyly. "What would I do without you?"

"Worry yourself into an aneurysm probably."

Alice giggled. "Love you, Bells."

"Love ya, too, Ali."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hope you liked the snippets! See you tomorrow when we jump ahead a few years!


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

Last chapter before the epilogue!

So this is about 15ish years after the last chapter, just to give you all some perspective.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

NessPOV

_Twenty-three, twenty-two, twenty-one…_

I stared at the non-descript clock mounted on the wall in front of me and counted down the seconds until this torture was over and I could go to lunch. It was a Friday morning in AP French class. I could sleep through this class and still get an A. I just had this knack for languages.

_Nineteen, eighteen, seventeen…_

I was anxious to get to lunch and see my best friend and neighbor, Alexa. She said she had a surprise for me and her surprises were always the best.

_Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…_

"Mademoiselle Cullen!"

I snapped my attention away from the clock and on to my crazy teacher Madame Depaul. _"Oui, Madame?" _I replied in French.

_"__Gardez votre attention sur __la leçon__, pas __sur l'horloge__ ou vous __allez rester__ avec moi pendant__ votre déjeuner__." _She replied with a stern look.

"_Je m'excuse, Madame,__je ne vais pas __le faire encore."_

DING. DING. DING.

I jumped out of my seat, grabbed my backpack off of the floor and dashed out of the classroom. I saw my good friend Hailey coming out of the Spanish room across the hall and we fell in step beside each other as we followed the stream of people heading to the staircase.

"How was French, Ness?" Hailey asked me in her bubbly, upbeat voice. Hailey was always happy about something. She's a glass half full kind of girl. She reminds me of my Aunt Alice.

I gave her an incredulous look. "Are you kidding me? It was pure torture as usual." I grimaced. I loved French and I was really good at it, I just hated my psycho teacher.

Hailey laughed. "My teacher made us watch _The Lion King_ dubbed in Spanish today."

"Lucky bitch." I grumbled.

When we reached the lunch room, Hailey and I jumped in the shortest lunch line and bought our customary lunch: a slice of pizza, milk, and a salad.

When we reached our usual table, we sat opposite each other and dug in.

"Hey, Vanessa!" Someone called from the other end of the table.

I looked up to see Chris, some boy in my grade, looking at me from the other end of the table. "What?" I snapped.

"Ooo, feisty much?" he grinned.

I shrugged. My dad always said me and my mom are the feistiest people he knows. "What do you want?" I sighed.

"Can I copy your History homework?" he asked hopefully.

"Nope," I said, popping the "p" and turned back to Hailey with a roll of my eyes. I got three of that kind of requests a day. Everyone knew that I had a 4.2 GPA.

"Hey, V," Someone set their lunch tray beside me.

I looked up to see Alexa Hill standing over me. "Hey, Lex," she swept her long, silky black hair over one shoulder and sat down beside me. "So where's this surprise?" I asked.

She gestured across the table. It was then that I realized that someone else had come in with Lex. "Guys, this is Katie Peters. She just transferred here."

Katie has short light brown hair and black-rimmed, rectangular glasses over her big blue eyes. Her features are small and dainty and she had a nervous smile on her lips. She looked nice. "Hi," she said quietly.

"Hey, I'm Hailey Brown." Hailey bounced in her seat in excitement. Hailey loved meeting new people. I have no idea why.

"I'm Vanessa Cullen, but you can call me Ness." I gave her one of my dazzling smiles to try to set her at ease.

Katie's brow furrowed. "Cullen, I've heard that name before."

I shrugged. It was a fairly common name and I didn't think anybody in my family was famous.

"Wait!" Katie cried and dug around in her backpack. "Are you related to her?" She threw a paperback book on the table. It looked like one of those romance novels my mom had tucked away in her room.

"To who?" Lex asked.

"The author." Katie said, pointing to the name at the bottom of the cover.

I looked to where her finger was pointing and choked on the sip of milk I'd just taken. Lex whistled and said "I don't believe it." while she smacked my back.

"Oh my God!" I said once I regained the ability to talk. I snatched the book off the table and stared the front cover, hoping I read the name wrong.

No, of course I didn't. It was just my luck it still said _Isabella Swan Cullen_. My mom writes romance novels. My _mom_ writes romance novels! I knew she was a writer, but I didn't know what kind of books she wrote. I felt so stupid. How could I not have known?

"Am I missing something?" Katie asked quietly.

"Uh, that's her mom…" Lex said, trying to hold in a laugh.

Katie gasped. "Ohmygod, I'm so sorry! I had no idea."

I looked up and saw that she was genuinely concerned that I was mad at her or something. "No, it's okay." I said, giving her a small smile in reassurance.

I flipped through the pages, skimming them here and there until I came upon a particularly disgusting scene. "Ugh! God, I do not need to know where she learned that…" I closed the book in disgust.

"Oh please!" Lex laughed. "Have you met your parents?"

I grimaced while Hailey and Lex cracked up. "Can we not have this conversation again?" I pleaded.

"What?" Katie asked, confused.

Hailey was the first one to recover. "Her dad is smoking hot. For an older guy, that is."

"Please," Lex scoffed. "He's not that old. He just turned forty a little while ago. I remember because that was the same day Mom let me get my ears double pierced."

I groaned and rested my head on the table. They were having the conversation again.

"And her mom is pretty hot, too." Lex continued. "They're a really attractive couple. They're really, shall we say, loving towards one another. It's actually really sweet."

"What do you mean?" Katie asked.

"There was this one time," Hailey began. I knew what story she was going to tell by the tone of her voice. "When the three of us were going into the kitchen after school, that her dad had her mom pressed up against the refrigerator!" Hailey cracked up again.

I groaned and hit my head against the table, wiling the image out of my mind. I lifted my head and glared at Hailey.

"And they're always kissing and touching each other." Lex added. "I think it's cute, Ness hates it."

"It's super annoying." I rolled my eyes. "But I guess anything is better than parents who fight."

"Wow," Katie whistled. "How did they meet?"

"They were high school sweethearts." I answered.

Katie smiled. "That's really cute."

Lunch continued on and we got to know Katie. She was actually really nice and funny.

"So, V, your seventeenth birthday is in a little over a month. What are we doing this year?" Lex asked excitedly.

I shot her a look. "Nothing. After what happened last year, I'm never going out with you again." Somehow, we ended up on a train to New York City last year.

She smirked. "That was so fun…"

"That was ridiculous." I amended.

"What's ridiculous?" A deep voice said from behind us. I felt someone kiss the top of my head and a big smile spread across my face.

"Nothing's ridiculous." I said to Jacob Black, my boyfriend of eight months. He sat down next to me and my heart went into overdrive. I've had a crush on Jacob since the fifth grade when he helped me up after I fell on the playground. He became one of my good friends and my crush never wavered. He asked me out in the middle of sophomore year and we've been inseparable ever since.

I picked up my mom's book and flipped to the page I was reading before. "Here, read this, Jake." I handed him the book.

His dark brown, almost black, eyes grew wide as he read down the page. He closed the book and whistled. "Damn, that's kinda hot." He flashed me a wide grin. My heart skipped a beat and I felt the blush rise in my cheeks.

"My mom wrote that book." I informed him with a raise of my eyebrow.

Jake dropped the book as if it burned him and wiped his hands on his jeans. "Oh, Mrs. C," he shook his head in disappointment.

"Nessa!" I looked up at the sound of my name, to see my fifteen year old sister Chloe standing on the other side of the table.

"What's up, Clo?" I smiled at her. Because there isn't a big age difference between me and Chloe, we got along really well. We're almost like twins in that respect but we don't look that much alike. She looks more like Mom with her straight brown hair and brown eyes, while I look more like Daddy with my curly copper hair and emerald eyes.

"Mom called me just now to tell you that we have to pick up Vi on our way home. She said she would pick her up but she's going to visit Daddy on his lunch break and then has errands to run." She crossed her arms across her chest and rolled her big chocolate eyes. We both knew what that meant. No errands would be run today. She and Dad would be getting it on in his office. I wonder if they know that we see through them so clearly.

"Okay, meet me by the car after school. And hurry, we're already going to be late picking her up if I do eighty miles an hour."

Chloe nodded and walked away. A few minutes later, the bell rang, signaling that lunch was over. I sighed and kissed Jake goodbye. Thank god I only had two more classes today.

When the final bell finally rang, I left my English classroom quickly and ran to my locker down the hall. Chloe was leaning against the hood of my Lexus when I finally got out to the parking lot.

"I'm so taking this car when you go to college." Chloe said with a smirk as we slid inside.

I laughed. "Who said I'm not taking it with me?" I laughed again when Chloe crossed her arms and pouted. "I'm only a junior; you won't have to worry about that for a while. And you're turning sixteen in six months. Maybe Daddy will buy you a car, too."

I didn't see Violet when we pulled up in front of her middle school. Violet is our youngest sister. And If I look like Dad and Chloe looks like Mom, Vi is a perfect mix of the two with her dark mahogany hair and her eyes the color of limes. She's twelve years old and apparently the popular girl of her seventh grade class. "Do you see her?" I asked Chloe.

She shook her head and rolled down her window. She stuck her head out and looked around. I spotted her dark hair and yelled out to her. "Vi!"

She either didn't hear me or was ignoring us, which is entirely possible. "Violet!" I tried again. Still no reaction.

Chloe had apparently had enough. "Violet Alice Cullen!" She yelled much louder than me. "Get in the car!"

Vi looked up and started walking over to the car. Chloe looked smug and rolled up her window. I shook my head and chuckled as Vi slid in the backseat.

"Geez Chloe," Vi grumbled. "No need to middle name me."

Chloe shrugged. "You didn't hear us before."

I made the mistake of asking Violet how her day was. The whole ride home Chloe and I were forced to listen to the new developments of middle school drama.

I finally pulled into an empty parking space on Marlborough Street and turned off the engine. The three of us filed inside and shed our coats. I was just contemplating making an afterschool snack when the front door opened again. "Girls?"

"In here, Mom." Chloe called from her seat across the kitchen.

A second later, Mom came strolling into the kitchen. Her long brown hair was swept up in a ponytail and she wore a long-sleeved red sweater, jeans, and tennis shoes. Sometimes people mistake her for our older sister when we were out places. She's almost forty and she still looks twenty-five. "How was your days?" she asked us all.

Once Violet finished telling Mom exactly what she told Chloe and me in the car, I spoke up. "So Mom, I met this girl today. Her name's Katie. She just moved here from Connecticut."

"That's great, sweetie."

"She knows you." I smirked at her.

Mom just looked confused. "She does? I don't think I know anyone in Connecticut…"

"Well, she doesn't know you, per se," I walked around the island to stand in front of her. "She knows your books."

Mom quirked her eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

We stared each other down for a few minutes before I exploded. "Mom! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Did you seriously just stamp your foot?" She questioned with a smirk.

"Mom!"

"You never asked." She shrugged.

I gave up on getting an explanation out of her. "Fine. Can I go to the movies tonight with Lex?"

Mom nodded. "After dinner." She opened the fridge and stared at its contents. "Dad will be home around five-thirty. We eat at six." She told the three of us.

Chloe and Vi disappeared a short while later and I decided to help Mom make dinner. At around five-fifty, just as I took the chicken out of the oven, the front door opened and Daddy walked in the kitchen.

"Mmm, what smells so good?" He threw his coat over the back of a chair and set his briefcase on the kitchen table. He walked over and pulled Mom into his arms. "Hi, love," he said before he gave her a long kiss.

I coughed purposefully.

They broke apart and Mom gave him a look. "We both know that's not where your coat belongs, Edward." She said sternly.

"Yes, Ma'am," Daddy said before he released her. And then he smacked her ass! I think I'm going to be violently ill…

"Hi, sweet girl," He said to me. He kissed the top of my head on his way to move his coat.

"Hi, Daddy," I sighed.

* * *

><p>BPOV<p>

When Violet and Chloe went upstairs around nine, Edward and I decided to change into sweats and curl up in front of the TV. I put on my faded and worn BU sweatshirt and a pair of Edward's sweatpants that hung low on my slender hips. We put in _Casablanca_ and sat on the couch. I sat between Edward's bent legs, my back pressed tightly against his chest. He snaked his arms protectively around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder.

Whenever we get to that part in the movie – when Ilsa declares she can't run away from Rick again– Edward always whispers Rick's line: "Here's looking at you, kid" which makes my heart melt every time.

Nessa got home from the movies around ten-thirty. I heard her sigh heavily as she threw her keys into the wicker basket by the door. "Mom, Daddy?" she called.

"In here!" I called to her. Nessa walked in and threw herself to the couch by our feet with a heavy sigh. "How was the movie, sweetie?" I asked, tapping her with my foot.

"Awful," Nessa groaned, throwing her arm across her eyes.

Edward and I laughed. "I'm sorry, sweet girl." Edward chuckled.

Nessa was quiet for a minute before she moved her arm and rolled her head to look at us. "Can I talk to Mom for a few minutes, Daddy?"

"Sure," Edward shrugged and didn't move to leave.

Nessa rolled her eyes. "Alone, Daddy,"

"Oh, sure, baby girl," I leaned forward so Edward could slip off the couch. He leaned down so our faces were inches apart. "I'll be in bed when you're finished, baby." He gave a relatively chaste kiss and turned to Nessa. He kissed the top of her head. "Night, Ness,"

"Night, Daddy!" She called to him as he climbed the stairs.

I sat up and swung my legs so my feet were planted on the floor. I whipped my long ponytail into a messy bun on top of my head and wrapped my arm around my daughter's shoulders. Nessa leaned into my shoulder and was quiet for a few minutes. I could tell she was nervous. She was biting her bottom lip and tapping her foot.

I tucked her gorgeous curly hair behind her ear and touched her cheek. "What's got you nervous, Nessa baby?" I asked her quietly.

"This may be awkward, but could we have a frank conversation, Mom?" she whispered.

"Of course, sweetheart." I squeezed her knee reassuringly.

"Actually," Nessa said, getting to her feet. "Can we talk in my room?"

I stood beside her and followed her up the stairs. Nessa's bedroom is painted a bright clover green. Her furniture was all dark wood and looked striking against the green. Nessa pulled me into her room and shut the door behind us. We sat on the edge of her four-poster canopy bed, side by side.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders just as I had done in the living room.

"How old were you when you lost your virginity?" Nessa asked, so quietly I almost didn't hear her.

I did a double take. I admit, I had no idea what she wanted to talk about but I didn't think it was going to be this. I almost didn't answer her but then again, we needed have this conversation sometime and I did agree to have a frank conversation. "Sixteen," I choked out.

"Was it with someone you loved or just some random guy?" Her voice was still quiet.

I squeezed her shoulder. I think I know where this conversation was headed. "No, my first time was with Dad."

"Which one is better?"

I chuckled. "I don't know. Aunt Alice was still a virgin the summer after we graduated from high school and she just wanted to get it over with so she slept with a random classmate of ours. I don't know for sure, but I think she regrets it a little that she didn't wait for Uncle Jasper."

Nessa nodded. "How long had you and Dad been dating?"

"Five, six months, maybe." I took me a minute to remember, god I was getting old!

"That soon?" She asked, finally looking up at me.

I laughed. "We were crazy in love. We were careful and we had nothing to lose."

"Were you Dad's first, too?" She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked back down at her knees.

I sighed. "No."

She looked back up and looked genuinely shocked. "Really?"

I chuckled. "He was a sixteen year old boy! Teenage boys are driven by their hormones, not their brains. Dad came from means and money so he had girls throwing themselves at him all the time." I scowled, remembering all the sluts.

Nessa was quiet for a minute before she spoke again. "Does it really hurt?"

I tilted her head up so I could see her eyes. Her emerald green eyes were sparkling with unshed tears. I sucked in a shaky breath. "Vanessa…" my voice cracked when I saw the hurt in her eyes. "I'm not going to lie to you, baby, it'll hurt a little. But if it's… done right… it should only feel like a pinch." I pinched her arm and she giggled quietly.

I readjusted our position so Nessa's arms were around my neck and her legs were across my lap. "Why are you asking me this, sweetie? Are you thinking about having sex?" I stroked her back soothingly.

She nodded against my shoulder. "Are you in love with him?" I asked her.

"Yes. I'm in love with Jacob. He told he loves me a couple of months ago and I just haven't been able to say it back yet. I don't know why." She brushed a tear off her cheek.

"Do you feel like you can tell him now?"

She nodded. "I think so."

I smiled. "Good. Tell him that and see where your relationship takes you. It will flow seamlessly into the next step, whatever that may be, naturally. All I can ask you is to be careful, sweetheart."

Nessa lifted her head, wiped her tears away, and smiled. "Thanks, Mom."

"I love you, sweetheart. Thank you for coming to me." I kissed her temple. I moved her off my lap and stood next to her bed. "Get some sleep."

"Night, Mom."

"Night, sweetie, I'll see you tomorrow." I shut Nessa's door behind me and walked to my room. The door creaked as I shut it behind me and leaned against it. Edward was lying in bed reading some thick, leather bound book, his glasses perched on his nose.

I pushed myself off the door and walked over to the dresser. I could feel Edward's eyes on me the whole time. I whipped off my sweatshirt and pulled on a dark pink tank top. I pulled back the covers on my side of the bed and climbed in. I pulled the elastic out of my hair and used the brush on my nightstand to brush out the tangles.

Edward sighed when I wasn't going to tell him what our conversation was about voluntarily. He closed his book and set it and his glasses on his nightstand. "You're not going to tell me?"

I raised my eyebrow. "I don't think you want to know, Edward."

"Yes I do." He huffed. "She's my daughter too."

I rested my hand on his shoulder and gave him a squeeze. "I know, baby." I hesitated. "Just don't go ballistic, please."

He nodded and crossed his arm across his chest.

"She was asking me a few questions… about losing your virginity…" I said cautiously.

"WHAT?" Edward boomed. "When did… how did… what?" he spluttered.

I smacked his arm with the back of my hand. "Edward, shut up!" I hissed. "Don't wake her up."

"Where does that Jacob kid live again? I'm gonna kill him!" Edward got out of bed, before I could stop him, and tried to pull on his shoes.

I huffed and crossed my arms across my chest. "Edward Cullen," I growled. He stopped and looked over to me. "Get back in this bed, right now."

A sheepish look crossed over his face as he climbed back in beside me. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself before I yelled at him for being an idiot. "Don't you do that again, or I'll tell you nothing else."

He nodded guiltily and slid so he was lying down. I lay beside him, resting my chin on his chest so I could look at him. "Go on," He said through clenched teeth. "What exactly did she ask you?"

"Well, how old was I when I lost it, was it with someone I loved or some guy, how long had we been dating, was I your first too, and does it actually hurt." Edward covered his eyes with his hands, as if it could erase what he just heard.

"She's too young." He whispered the agony apparent in his voice.

I scoffed. "Please, Edward, she's almost seventeen, a whole year older than I was that night in your bedroom when Carlisle and Esme were out of town."

He flashed me his dazzling crooked grin and pulled my body up so our faces were mere inches apart. "One of the best nights of my life, love."

I giggled. "Me too."

We stared at each other for a long minute before Edward spoke again. "Was that all you two talked about?"

"Uh…no." I grumbled and looked away from him.

"Well, what was it, love?" Edward asked after a few minutes of silence.

I sighed. "I asked her why she was asking me this and she said…" I felt a lump forming in my throat. "She was thinking about having sex."

Edward groaned and covered his eyes with his hands again.

"They're in love, Edward." I said, tears filling my eyes.

Edward wrapped his arms tightly around me and I felt the tears spill over. "Oh, baby," He kissed my tears away and kissed the end of my nose.

"All I could do was to ask her to be careful and thank her for coming to me first." I said tearfully, nuzzling my head in the crook of Edward's neck. "She's growing up so fast."

"I know, baby. Let's put this aside for now and get some sleep." Edward soothed me in his deep velvety voice.

The next morning I woke up early when Edward rolled over and hit me in the face with his hand. I decided that now was as good a time as any and went downstairs. Edward must have heard me leave the room because he was downstairs five minutes after I was.

"Morning, baby." Edward whispered with a smile as he leaned in to give me a good morning kiss. "Guess what?" He pulled me against his chest.

"Mmm… what?" I whispered against his lips.

Edward nuzzled my neck. "We have the house to ourselves tonight."

"We do?" I asked happily.

He nodded and pressed a kiss to my throat. "Tonight is the night Mom and Dad are taking Clo and Vi to the theater and Ness is sleeping over Alexa's…"

I smirked. "Whatever will we do with ourselves?"

Edward chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure we can find something to do, love."

I laughed and stretched to kiss my charming husband on the cheek. I turned to make breakfast when I heard my daughters stirring upstairs. I sighed happily as Edward got out the ingredients to help me make breakfast.

_Bliss._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So did you like Vanessa's point-of-view?

Hope you liked the chapter. The epilogue is up next so stay tuned for that!

Also, I'm considering writing a prequel of this story, if there's enough interest. It would cover their high school years together and maybe a bit of college.

Thoughts? Leave me a review and let me know if you're interested. Thanks!


	16. Chapter 16  Epilogue

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

So this is it, the Epilogue! It's not very long but I decided to end this story with a short and sweet Epilogue. See ya at the bottom!

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><p><strong>Chapter 16 ~ Epilogue <strong>

~ 11 years later ~

BPOV

"Where are they?" I glanced at my watch for the third time in ten minutes.

Edward came up behind the chair I was sitting in and rubbed my shoulders. "Relax, love, they'll be here." He assured me in his soothing voice.

Just as he finished speaking, the doorbell rang. I squealed in excitement and ran to answer the door, Edward chuckling behind me. I wrenched open the door with a huge grin on my face. A small boy with red-brown hair ran and hugged my legs, almost running me over. I reached down and swung him into my arms.

"Gramma!" Ethan yelled happily.

I kissed my grandson's cheek. "Hi, handsome, where's Mommy?" I stuck my head out the front door and saw Nessa and Jacob, with Julia in his arms, making their way up the stairs.

Nessa and Jacob got married during the summer before their second year of college. I cried so hard when Edward gave Nessa away on her wedding day that my tears almost blocked my vision completely. And when Nessa announced that she was pregnant four years ago, I was out of my mind with happiness. Three years after Ethan was born, they announced that they would be adding Julia to their growing family.

"Where's Papa?" Ethan asked me. Ethan is the spitting image of Edward, only his skin is a shade or two darker.

I set him on his feet. "He's in the kitchen, sweetheart." Ethan yelled happily and ran off the find Edward.

"Mom!"

I turned around and wrapped Nessa in my arms. "Nessa," I breathed, squeezing her tight.

"I miss you too, Mom." Nessa sighed happily as she hugged me back.

I haven't seen Nessa so much recently since she just went back to work following her maternity leave. Instead of them paying for daycare, I offered to watch Julia every day. Jacob drops her off every morning on his way to work and picks her up every evening on his way home.

"Are the others here yet?" Nessa asked.

I shook my head. "Vi's flight landed about a half hour ago and Chloe and Aiden are going to pick her up on their way here."

Violet is in her last year studying pre-med at Stanford, following the footsteps of her Grandpa Carlisle. She's applied to a lot of Med Schools but hasn't told us yet if any have accepted her into their program. She's flying in from California to spend her spring break with us instead of going to Mexico with her friends.

Chloe still lives close by. She finished college at New York University a few years ago and recently got a teaching job in the suburbs of Boston while she finishes her Masters at Boston College. She moved in with her college boyfriend Aiden last year and couldn't be happier.

About a half hour later when Nessa and I were making lunch, the door opened. "I'm home!" Violet yelled when she walked through the door.

I laughed and wiped my hands on a dish towel before running over to sweep her into a hug. "Violet Alice Cullen, how many times have I told you to not scream in the house?" I scolded with a smile on my face.

"About a million." Chloe griped from behind her.

I gave Chloe and Aiden a hug hello before going back to the kitchen to finish making lunch.

When all nine of us sat down to lunch, Violet cleared her throat with a smile. "I have some news to share!" she called, making sure she had everyone's attention before she began. "I got accepted to Harvard Med School. I start in the fall. I'm coming home!" She squealed, sound a lot like her Aunt Alice.

I bolted out of my seat and ran around the table to pull her into my arms. "Congratulations, Vi!" I kissed her cheek.

"Mom, you'll have to help me find a place to live!" Violet exclaimed happily.

Edward walked over and took his turn hugging his daughter. "I'm so proud of you, baby girl." He said with a grin as he kissed the top of her head.

"Thanks, Daddy." Violet beamed.

"Well, I guess now is as good a time as ever," Chloe chuckled. "Aiden and I are getting married!" Chloe said happily as she held out her left hand.

Vi, Nessa, and I all squealed and ran over to pull Chloe into a group hug. Edward and Jacob clapped Aiden on the back and welcomed him to the family as the women fawned over Chloe's ring.

Once we all settled down and sat back at the table to eat our now cold lunch, Edward took my hand in his and squeezed. I looked up at him and smiled as I kissed his cheek.

My baby was coming home and my second daughter was getting married. It was sure to be a long year but with my love by my side, I knew we could handle it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **It's over! I'm sad to see this story go but fear not! We still have the prequel to look forward to!

Thank you so much to everyone who has read and/or reviewed this story. It's meant so much to me. And thanks to my sounding board and greatest friend ever angelz1114577. She's a lifesaver.

If any of you out there want to read the prequel, put me on Author Alert so you know the minute I start posting!

Thanks so much!

Nikki


	17. Prequel annoucement

**A/N: **

Hey everyone!

For those who don't have me on author alert and are interested in reading the prequel, I just wanted to post this to announce that the prologue for The Beginning is posted.

Check it out!

-Nikki


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